Steve Smith on Crime and Public Safety in California

70% of residents in LA and the SF Bay Area said crime worsened in recent years. Why? What has caused the changes in the Golden State? A Walgreen in San Francisco got hit by shoplifters 3 times in 30 minutes while a CNN team was reporting on site. Drug use is out in the open and local residents feel angry and helpless.

In this interview, Steve Smith, a 30-year veteran in law enforcement discusses how changes in the criminal justice system has direct impact on crime in California. He explained how AB109 and Proposition 47 created unintended consequences on crime and drug abuse. He discussed how Proposition 47 reduced charges on certain crimes from felony to misdemeanors. And due to county jail over capacity, people given misdemeanors citations are often not arrested, or released quickly.

Steve Smith is a senior fellow with the Pacific Research institute and former peace officer and college instructor who’s experience includes work as a municipal police officer, deputy sheriff, and District Attorneys investigator as well as internationally with the United Nations and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as well as the West Bank working on police reform and training projects.