Anti-gang initiative makes the ballot

State Sen. George Runner (RAntelope Valley) and Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks have announced that Secretary of State Debra Bowen has approved a statewide anti-gang initiative for the November ballot.

"The Safe Neighborhoods Act is a comprehensive and extremely wellthoughtout initiative designed to combat some of the most serious aspects of criminal behavior plaguing our society," Brooks said. "Among other areas, it enhances our ability to fight criminal street gangs, methamphetamine-related crimes and felons who use guns."

To qualify for the ballot, the initiative needed 433,971 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 genera lelection. The initiative proponents submitted 789,668 signatures in late April.

Some of the provisions of the initiative would do the following:

•Increase penalties for felons and gang members with guns

•Create the Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Commission

•Prohibit bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang crimes

•Heighten penalties for criminal accomplices

•Strengthen Section 8 Housing compliance

•Protect witness testimony

•Create a statewide gang registry

•Punish smugglers for prison contraband

•Toughen laws for methamphetamine distribution and sales

•Establish the "Use a gun and lose a car" law

•Allow counties that are under court order to release jail inmates to operate temporary jail facilities

•Impose felony penalties on serial graffiti offenders

The Safe Neighborhood Act also has support from Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, state Senate candidate Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) and former Gov. Pete Wilson.

The initiative is co-authored by Mike Reynolds and San Bernadino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

For more information, visit www.safeneighborhoodsact.com.