California Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Protect Californians from Gangs

07/06/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger announced today that he has signed SB 271 by Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) to give prosecutors more tools in the fight against gangs. This bill is consistent with the components of the comprehensive California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program (CalGRIP) the Governor announced in May.

“Gangs terrorize our communities and hold our neighborhoods hostage,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “For years our enforcement and prevention efforts have been scattered and inefficient. CalGRIP is a comprehensive program that will streamline all of these efforts and ultimately will make our neighborhoods safer. This bill is consistent with CalGRIP because it has important provisions that will enable prosecutors to go after the financial means that these criminal organizations rely on.”

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SB 271 will let prosecutors and city attorneys bring damage suits against gang members who have violated civil injunctions, go after their assets to satisfy the judgment, and return any recovered funds to the community they have terrorized.

CalGRIP targets more than $48 million in state and federal funding toward local anti-gang efforts, including job training, education and intervention programs, and gives law enforcement the tools to closely track gang leaders both inside state prisons and when they are released on parole. The program combines funding from different programs and directs them toward intervention, suppression and prevention.

Source: California Governor