Resolution No. 6810230
RESOLUTION NO. 6810
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS,
SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 20 ON THE NOVEMBER
2020 BALLOT.
WHEREAS, protecting every person in our state, including our most vulnerable
children, from violent crime is of the utmost importance. Rapists, child molesters and other
violent criminals should not be released early from prison; and
WHEREAS, recent changes to parole laws allow the early release of dangerous
criminals by the law's failure to define certain crimes as "violent," and these changes
allowed individuals convicted of sex trafficking of children, rape of an unconscious person,
felony assault with a deadly weapon, and felony domestic violence to be considered
"nonviolent" offenders; and
WHEREAS, as a result, these "nonviolent" offenders are eligible for early release
from prison after serving only a fraction of the sentence ordered by a judge; and
WHEREAS, violent offenders are also being allowed to remain free in our
communities even when they commit new crimes and violate the terms of their post
release community supervision; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 20 reforms the law so felons who violate the terms of their
release will be brought back to court upon their third violation and can be held accountable
for such violations; and
WHEREAS, nothing in the Proposition is intended to create additional "strike"
offenses which would increase the state prison population; nor is it intended to affect the
ability of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to award educational
and merit credits; and
WHEREAS, recent changes to California law allow individuals who steal
repeatedly to face few consequences, regardless of their criminal record or how many
times they steal; and
WHEREAS, as a result, between 2014 and 2019, California saw a 30% increase
in certain theft and property crimes, while most states have seen a steady decline; and
WHEREAS, according to the California Department of Justice, the value of
property stolen has increased 25% since 2014; and
WHEREAS, grocery store operators and other retail outlets around the state have
seen unprecedented increases in the amount of losses associated with shoplifting in their
stores, with some reporting up to 150 percent increases in these losses from 2012 to
present, with the largest jumps occurring since 2014; and
WHEREAS, shoplifting incidents have started to escalate in such a manner that
have endangered innocent customers and employees; and
WHEREAS, individuals who repeatedly steal often do so to support their drug
habit, but recent changes to California law have reduced judges' ability to order
individuals convicted of repeated theft crimes into effective drug treatment programs; and
WHEREAS, California needs stronger laws for those who are repeatedly convicted
of theft related crimes, which will encourage those who repeatedly steal to support their
drug problem to enter into existing drug treatment programs, and this Proposition would
enact such reforms; and
231
WHEREAS, collecting DNA from criminals is essential to solving violent crimes,
and over 450 violent crimes including murder, rape and robbery have gone unsolved
because DNA is being collected from fewer criminals; and
WHEREAS, DNA collected in 2015 from a convicted child molester solved the
rape -murders of two six year-old boys that occurred three decades ago in Los Angeles
County; and DNA collected in 2016 from an individual caught driving a stolen car solved
the 2012 San Francisco Bay Area rape -murder of an 83 -year-old woman; and
WHEREAS, recent changes to California law unintentionally eliminated DNA
collection for theft and drug crimes, but this Proposition restores DNA collection from
persons convicted for such offenses; and
WHEREAS, permitting collection and more DNA samples will help identify
suspects, clear the innocent and free the wrongly convicted; and
WHEREAS, this Proposition does not affect existing legal safeguards that protect
the privacy of individuals by allowing for their removal of their DNA profile if they are not
charged with a crime, are acquitted or are found innocent.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Cypress
does hereby support California's Proposition 20 on the November 2020 ballot.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Cypress at a regular
meeting held on the 28th day of September, 2020.
ATTEST:
CITY CL K • FTHE CITY OF CYPRESS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS
I, ALISHA FARNELL, City Clerk of the City of Cypress, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that
the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the said City Council held
on the 28th day of September, 2020, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: 5 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Berry, Morales, Peat, Yarc and Johnson
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
MAYOR O T E CITY OF CYPRESS
CITY K OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
ER