One of California's recent experiments in criminal justice "reform" could soon come to an end, and Democrats in the Golden State are divided about whether or not that's a good thing. This November, California voters will have the chance to repeal portions of Proposition 47, which was approved by voters a decade ago, but as POLITICO reports, where Democrats stand on the effort to roll back those "reforms" largely depends on what office they hold. 

Officials in Sacramento, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, are opposed to the rollbacks included in this year's Proposition 36. But many Democratic mayors are speaking out in support of the measure, which would increase the penalties for some non-violent offenses that were downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors ten years ago. 

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and two local officials — Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen — are now launching their own committee supporting Prop 36. They hope the Common Sense for Safety committee will open space for other Democratic office-holders willing to cross Newsom and other prominent state officials.

“We see the consequences on the ground every day,” said Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock. “Look at Mayor Breed, Mayor Mahan, mayors down here in southern California — we’re exasperated, we’re frustrated, and so many days we feel helpless. We need some help, we need some assistance.”

When prosecutors and big-box retailers came forward earlier this year with their initiative to restore harsh penalties for non-violent crimes, Newsom and legislative leaders began working to get it off the ballot. After failing to persuade the initiative’s proponents to drop their quest and abandoning plans to promote an anti-crime measure of their own, the Capitol’s top Democrats are leading the charge against Prop 36. They warn the measure will take California back to the era of mass incarceration and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Newsom and his anti-gun allies in Sacramento are all in favor of criminalizing lawful gun ownership, and even putting gun owners behind bars for non-violent offenses like bringing ammunition purchased in Arizona back into California. But going after shoplifters and shoplifters? Well, that's a bridge too far. 

Many mayors, however, have seen the disastrous impact of Prop 47 on their communities. They may be just as anti-2A as Newsom, but they're at least aware of the damage that's been done by ignoring or excusing away low-level crimes. 

It has not stopped Democratic mayors and other local officeholders from coming out in favor of the initiative. Yes on Prop 36, the main campaign committee supporting the initiative, has put out a steady drumbeat of endorsements from local-level politicians, including many Democrats.

“My great fear is that by decriminalizing low-level crime, we have allowed people’s conditions to deepen and worsen,” Mahan said in an interview ahead of his group’s launch in which he promoted Prop 36 as crucial to tackling interconnected problems in his city, including homelessness.

Local officials and organizations that represent them say there are clear reasons for the measure’s strong support on the local level: They’re less insulated from the effects of retail theft and drug issues than politicians in Sacramento, giving them more of an on-the-ground perspective on how dire the situation really is.

Low-level crime, left untreated, can also lead to much bigger crimes against the public. Take the tragic murder of Maria Ramos in Oakland, for example, who was shot and killed when she and her mother approached a group that they suspected of trying to sell marijuana vape pens to kids. 

There is now a memorial outside of Blanca Velasco's East Oakland home for her daughter. Ramos had eight children from 1 to 15 years old. Her 5-year-old girl is still waiting for her mom to come home.

"She says, 'I hear mommy is dead, but she's still coming back from the hospital, right grandma,'" said Blanca Velasco, Ramos' mother. "I would be like yeah, because I don't know how to tell her she's not coming back."

A week ago, Velasco and Ramos noticed a blue Toyota in front of their home, which they believed was trying to deliver marijuana vapes to one of the teens.

"When I saw them, I just wanted to let them know that my kids are 11, 13, 15 and 16," said Velasco. "Don't come by my house."

Velasco said they followed the car as it drove away. When they stopped, they thought they would just be able to talk.

"When I saw that they were kids, I'm thinking, they're kids," said Velasco. "I told my daughter, 'It's just me and you, two girls, no weapons. They're just probably going to curse us out.' But it never came to my mind that they would have a gun. My daughter got out of the car, she looked at me and turned around. As she turned around, I just saw her running and I heard the bang. It just happened so quick."

California's restrictive gun control laws didn't stop these "kids" from illegally acquiring at least one firearm and using it to murder Ramos in cold blood. And the sad truth is that if Velasco and Ramos had called police and informed them that a group of drug dealers was on their block and trying to peddle their wares to kids, nothing much would have happened. In fact, they might not have even been able to speak with someone. According to Oakland PD's own numbers, 911 calls are answered within 15 seconds just 47% of the time, and that's an improvement compared to 2022, when only 37% of calls were answered promptly. 

Once a call is made, police still may not show up, especially if callers are reporting a non-violent, low-level offense like drug dealing. The result? Criminals are emboldened and empowered to commit more serious offenses. As Velasco told the CBS affiliate in San Francisco, "Oakland is very bad, and I don't see any changes. I just see it get worse every day." 

It's not just Oakland, and Prop 36 won't solve every one of California's crime problems. Getting tough on crime is one part of the solution, but until average, everyday citizens like Ramos and Velasco can easily exercise their Second Amendment rights for self-defense, violent offenders will continue to have the upper hand.