The State of California will put a price tag on public safety by firing CA Department of Justice Special Agents responsible for solving some of the worst crimes.
Is Anybody ready to volunteer themselves or their family to be a Murder Victim, or a victim of other violent crimes? NO?
Then please write the Governor, the Senate President Pro Tem, and the Assembly Speaker, and your local representatives.
(updated December 1, 2011)
UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT to PUBLIC SAFETY Unless We Act:
Governor Brown has proposed the elimination of $71 million in general funding over the next two fiscal years from the Attorney General’s Division of Law Enforcement (DLE).
- This funding cut will also cause the loss of millions in additional federal funding received by DLE. Together, these losses significantly undermine the core responsibility to protect public safety.
- DLE protects Californians and minimizes the tremendous human cost of crime victimization, and also provides this protection at a very cost-effective manner with the financial benefits of stopping or reducing crime far exceeding the costs of these invaluable law enforcement services.
- This department pays for itself several times over.
- Agents with up to 10-12 yrs experience are being cut. Later on when the economy improves it will be more costly to retrain new and less qualified special agents, and ongoing investigations will have been compromised.
- This is a short-sighted drastic measure that will have negative consequences and will endanger all us.
1) VETO and RESTORE: The Governor and the CA Legislature should restore this funding; or
2) RECTIFY: If the Governor and CA Legislature fail to restore funding, then at a minimum they should work to UNALLOCATE these cuts so that Attorney General Harris can use her best professional judgment as to how to best spread and absorb these cuts throughout the CA Justice Department. In essence by forcing the AG to cut from only one division, rather than allowing the AG to absorb the costs throughout her other divisions, the Governor’s ALLOCATED budget cut is decimating one of the most important divisions by about 50%, and thus putting Californians needlessly in great danger.
Furthermore, many of these DLE special agents are USA military veterans who have been deployed to fight in America’s wars, and as they return from their combat duties and attempt to adjust and reintegrate to civilian life, these cuts will ensure that they have no job to return to, thus putting their successful reintegration at risk.
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CHANGE OF HEART:
Back in June 2009, State budget negotiators had proposed cutting $20 million from the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, on top of $12 million in previous cuts from the bureau.
Then Attorney General Jerry Brown, who oversaw the narcotics bureau, said the cuts would lead to layoffs for nearly a third of its 187 agents: According to former AG Brown, “It’s a terrible budgetary decision. The Bureau of Narcotics enforcement has some of the best-trained agents in the world that are going after drug cartels, that are providing assistance to local law enforcement agencies…Without the bureau’s help, the local agencies will be outmanned and outgunned. The agency, part of the California Department of Justice, works under the radar with plainclothes agents operating in a dangerous underworld.”
NOW: As Governor he is now proposing $71 Million in cuts (more than 250% increase from the cuts he was originally opposed to) that will lay-off more than 200 Special Agents, and at the same time jeopardizing ongoing investigations and public safety.
DLE is a statewide law enforcement agency and yet to sustain itself after some of the cuts, DLE has already closed offices in Orange County, Sacramento, San Jose, and Redding.
CLICK HERE: San Diego Sheriff weighs in on severe impact from expected cuts.
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PROGRAMS TO BE REDUCED or ELIMINATED 100% by DECEMBER 31, 2011:
1) BUREAU OF NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT (BNE)
Established in 1927, BNE is the oldest narcotic enforcement bureau in the United States. BNE programs target major drug dealers, violent career criminals, clandestine drug manufacturers and violators of prescription drug laws. BNE operates and manages a variety of programs in its role as the statewide agency involved in enforcing state and federal drug laws and apprehending violent criminals who use illegal weapons in the commission of crimes.
- 55 Multi-jurisdictional Task Forces: These task forces combat transnational criminal gangs (which local agencies have limited resources for), firearms and narcotics trafficking and major crimes throughout the State of California;
- The Gang Enforcement and Suppression Program (GSEP): This program was championed by Governor Brown as Attorney General, and has been immensely successful in targeting the leadership of criminal gangs, and has obtained substantial federal support;
- The Clandestine Laboratory and Enforcement Program: DLE is the only entity in the State that investigates, and trains local law enforcement agencies in how to conduct criminal law enforcement in the toxic environment of a clandestine drug laboratory (i.e. methamphetamines, and other hardcore synthetic drugs).
- CURES: This program, was also championed by Governor Brown as Attorney General, monitoring prescription drug transactions, and is an important tool in identifying criminal diversion of prescription drugs (i.e. Oxycontin; Vicodin, etc).
2) BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND INTELLIGENCE (BII):
BII provides critical support and expertise to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with complex multi-jurisdictional investigations involving terrorist threats, high-tech crimes, familial DNA, intelligence sharing, environmental and recycling fraud in addition to the following:
- Major Crimes Teams: Support local investigations involving homicides, sexual assaults, child kidnappings, cold case homicides, public corruption, and officer involved shootings.
- Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force (SAFE): Specialize in missing children and specialized sexual assault investigations, child pornography and exploitation cases, and monitoring of sexual offenders and sexual violent predators.
- Foreign Prosecutions and Law Enforcement Unit (FPLEU): Mexican Liaison to state and local agencies throughout California and Mexico, parental child abductions, missing persons, foreign prosecutions of rape and homicide suspects, and locates fugitives on both sides of the border.
[A special mention on this FPLE Unit: On October 28, 2011 a friend of mine, from a well-know family here in OC, was the victim of violent crime by two police officers in a city north of Mexico City. The family tried obtaining the assistance of the local American Consular officer in this city north of Mexico to no avail. A CA DOJ Special Agent contact of mine, arranged for the Mexican Attorney General (Procuraduria General de la Republica) liaison officer in San Diego to put us in contact with their counterpart in Mexico. Due to the sensitive nature of the crime and the perpetrators involved they assigned a Specialized Mexican team (two female investigative attorneys, a female therapist, a female medical officer, and two armed Mexican Special Agents to provide protection to my friend. They all checked on her over several days. I flew down to north of Mexico City to accompany my friend back. I got to meet the team and personally thanked them for their professionalism and concern. They offered to provide the armed escort to the airport, with the whole team to accompany us, if we felt it necessary. We declined. This measure of coordination was only possible because of the trusted relationship built over the years by the close working relationship of these CA DOJ Specialized Agents and the special Mexican AG unit.
Additionally, my contact friend, a former US Marine and CA ANG Chief Warrant Officer, at BII/CA DOJ was working on coordinating our Survivors of Human Trafficking Foundation efforts with personnel within CA DOJ.]
- Other Specialized Units within DLE (to name a few):
- the Safe Streets Initiative:
- California’s Drug Endangered Children program.
- The Mortgage Fraud Strike Force: This newly-established program is intended to address the mortgage fraud crisis by pursuing criminal prosecutions against wrongdoers, and enhanced civil enforcement to obtain relief for wronged citizens. [UPDATE - I UNDERSTAND THIS PROGRAM WILL BE KEPT - FJB 12/1/2011]
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PLEASE WRITE and use the THREE DRAFT templates and Ask for an Emergency Session in December to Veto and Restore the Cuts, or Rectify the Allocation to Unallocation:
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR LETTER TO: Gov Jerry Brown
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR LETTER TO: President Pro Tem Senate
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR LETTER TO: John Perez Assembly Speaker
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SHORT VIDEOS:
CLICK Here for Video – on CA DOJ.
Click here for Video – on Brent King reaction to DOJ cuts.
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SUPPORT CA DOJ Special Agents:
Let’s help these Special Agents, and unsung heroes, who put their lives on the line for us, and who pay for themselves many times over by their high-performance…We will help keep our families and our community, and other Californians safe!!!
Support our CA DOJ Special Agents: Go to FACEBOOK and “Like” the CA DOJ ASA (Association of Special Agents)
http://www.facebook.com/CADOJASA
if they just legalized marijuana 60% of the problem would evaporate overnight and free up the agencies to focus on real crime. Support the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012.
Paul, the prior governors did that as he left office, and I can’t find anything saying that the current governor cancelled that executive order.
So tell us why the 60 percent reduction in crime has not happened? where do you get your 60 percent number from? And how is the next worthless act going to fix the problem?
Because selling and transporting cannabis is still ILLEGAL under the law. And if you really want to get into a debate with me over drug policy, old man, feel free.
Guy Fawkes
You should be able to abuse your own body as much as you like, even to the point of permanent disability or death. So grow you own and smoke it at home.
Since the biggest argument for total legislation of all drug abuse is that crime would decrease, please explain why crime would decrease? I would like to know what the criminals are going to do with all their free time and major lack of money?
So in my opinion, crime would expand into other areas and there would not be any decrease. (the med MJ was suppose to decrease crime too, all the report says “crime did not go up”. Not going up is not the same as a decrease) (I don’t follow the price but I don’t think it decreased either)
Also health care cost would take another huge jump because of all the mental midgets who would think because the drug abuse game is legal, it must be safe.
Don’t say that! The prison guards and cops might actually have to do real work.
I wouldn’t mind if they made cuts to this program.
•The Clandestine Laboratory and Enforcement Program: DLE is the only entity in the State that trains local law enforcement agencies in how to conduct criminal law enforcement in the toxic environment of a clandestine drug laboratory.
Legalization might put these folks out of a job. Which begs the question. Is continuing to escalate the War on Drugs really a ploy for keeping people in these departments employed? Or is it that the corporate prison system needs fresh bodies to do their menial slave labor tasks?
Either way, both of these groups have powerful and well financed political lobbies in Sacto and in DC.
Please identify the programs that you would like to cut to match the budget reduction realized by these cuts.
It is very easy to scream – “We need this.” Much more difficult to identify replacement cuts. This kind of thinking is how we got in this mess in the first place.
Subsidy of oil extraction by absence of an excise tax.
I’d repeal the sweetheart deal that that the prison guard unions got from Brown. But since that cannot be nullified, abolishing funding of RDAs would be a good start. Getting rid of the freeway on ramp signal lights would be next on my list since they cause more traffic congestion.
Whether I agree with your suggestions or not, this is the process that we have to go through to make the tough decisions to have a functional government. There are lots of good ideas for things we can spend money on, and to date very little restraint in prioritizing and making the tough choices.
Excerpts from SSAC Douglas Owsley. He gave the following comments after receiving the Attorney Generals award for Excellence in Management.
“So wrapping those four traits together for you, Attorney General Harris, I know that you have a sense of humor for I have been honest in admitting I did not vote for you in the last elections; but know this is consistent in that I haven’t voted for the last three attorney generals I’ve work for; but I respect you, for even with all that, you and your staff still saw fit to present me with this award. For that, I thank you.
However this award comes with irony. Ironically, after 29 years of law enforcement, with over 11 as a manager … this award is being presented to me less than a month before I am currently earmarked to be demoted several ranks down to Special Agent Supervisor due to the DLE budget cuts.
But know that I consider myself one of the lucky ones, for over 170 of my peers and fellow agents are slated to be laid-off; agents with families, kids, homes, mortgages.
Let me highlight just one of those agents as an example of the quality of individuals we are losing from within our ranks; that one being my partner, my friend, Special Agent Supervisor Eric Deroian.
Eric has almost 22 years of law enforcement: over 10 as a Santa Monica Police Officer, and over 11 with the Department of Justice. He’s a two time Medal of Valor Award Recipient, as well as a past recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Supervision. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree, and was about to become a Doctoral Degree Candidate.
Alone … Eric has arrested more people; seized more drugs; written more search warrants; authored more wiretap affidavits; conducted more surveillance; led more undercover operations; raided more locations; confiscated more money; interviewed more crooks; safeguarding more Presidents and dignitaries; and saved more lives through all these actions combined than the collective experiences of most small police department in this State.
[YET BECAUSE OF A FAR MORE PHILOSOPHICALLY AND POLITICALLY DRIVEN DECISION, AND NOT A FISCALLY DRIVEN ONE AS THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WOULD LIKE US TO THINK, ERIC IS TO BE LAID OFF. THIS IS A TRAVESTY.]
So in closing let me say this … I will gladly trade any of you this award for a simple prayer; a prayer asking for God to intervene against this insanity that threatens public safety; a prayer asking for the man who currently holds the title of Governor, as well as our Legislators, to see the error of their ways, and that they right this wrong before it’s too late.
Thank you.”
NOTE: you can see the full remarks of SSAC Douglas Owsley at:
http://www.facebook.com/CADOJASA
“Eric has arrested more people; seized more drugs; written more search warrants; authored more wiretap affidavits; conducted more surveillance; led more undercover operations; raided more locations; confiscated more money;”
So, in essence, Eric is a tool for the intrusive and soon to be militarized police state and the prison industrial complex. And you want us to weep for him and his family? What about the families of non-violent offenders that he helped break up? What are they, chopped liver? Didn’t some of these people that he helped lock up also have mortgages, homes, kids, etc. Or are they just necessary pawns/cheap slave labor in the ever increasing pursuit of building more prisons?
As a person of faith, my prayer would be to that the powers that be wake the hell up and end these stupid wars like the War on Terror and the War on Drugs. In addition, I pray that these non-violent offenders have their “criminal” records expunged and are reunited with their families.
You want compassion for your law enforcement brethern? Maybe your thick headed law enforcement brethern with very high testosterone levels should wake up and realize the damage that these Draconian laws and policies are causing to regular people. Actually, some of them have.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/us/officers-punished-for-supporting-eased-drug-laws.html?pagewanted=all
The War on Drugs and the War on Terror have done more harm to public safety that you can imagine. And now you want to sound the clarion call that criminals are going to run rampant because of these cuts?
The criminals are already running rampant. They reside in places like Washington and Sacramento and call themselves politicans and lobbyists.
@GF:
Even if one were to agree with you on the full legalization of marijuana, or that we have to fight the DEMAND side of the drug trade, or that the unjustified Bailouts by hardworking American taxpayers to the tune of about $20 Trillion out of a total annual US economy of $13.5 Trillion was criminal except for the cover provided by the congressional act, this does not negate the fact that there are violent offenders that have been victimizing Californians and will continue to do so in GREATER numbers, because of the 50% reduction and in some cases 100% elimination of key departments within DLE.
Mind you DLE is a division that provides critical services to other law enforcement agencies and does so in a manner that first and foremost saves lives, and also saves taxpayers in amounts greater than the amount of what they cost.
1) If current Gov Brown thought that DLE needed to be cut by 50% or some divisions within DLE by100% as he is now proposing, why didn’t he do this when he was AG?
2) You can also work to reform laws so that the punishment of non-violent offenders fits the crime, but this does not mean that because of that we should accept greater VIOLENT crime and greater threats to our Lives.
Francisco Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
As long as your law enforcement friends and bipartisan amen corner supporters continue to utilize taxpayer funds to prey on non-violent offenders (i.e. the guy who possesses a bag o’ weed) and enforce laws that continue to whittle away at our basic civil liberties, you are leaving the door open for violent offenders to get off scott free and pose more of a danger to our society. In fact, law enforcement is doing that already with their misdirected focus in this 40 year Drug War and the current “War on Terror.” It’s not the money. It’s the policies that you are enforcing but don’t have the guts to speak out against.
There are those in law enforcement who have spoken out in favor of reform only to end up losing their jobs. (See my previous referenced NYT article) Where is your support for these law enforcement brethern, Francisco? Don’t they have families, mortgages and kids too? Maybe they don’t matter to you since they didn’t “live by the code.” (Whatever the hell that means in cop speak) Or are you too tightly wrapped up in your uber-patriotic “my country right or wrong” mindset that you would rather siphon more taxpayer dollars to justify misdirected and failed laws and policies?
@ Guy Fawkes:
I suggest you do not look at issues through one-dimension, or make faulty assumptions about my positions as you appear to be doing.
DRUGS:
First of all, I see the benefits in legalizing marijuana, because it would allow us to heavily REGULATE it, TAX it, and because it would also FREE up our limited resources to fight other hard core drugs and other violent offenders. But on the other hand I worry about glamorizing the drug scene because of the deadly consequences.
The point about regulating marijuana…NOT ALL MEDICINES ARE GOOD FOR EVERYONE. AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS NATURAL IS GOOD FOR YOU.
1a) Some medicines have severe/adverse medical side effects. For example, ASPIRIN. Most everyone can take an aspirin; however, in certain circumstances aspiring is deadly because of the Aspirin & Reye’s Syndrome linkage.
http://www.reyessyndrome.org/aspirin.html
1b) Marijuana may also trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals (their body processes it differently.) And because today’s marijuana is being harvested to be several times more potent than before, the risks of psychosis in vulnerable individuals increased dramatically.
Per NAMI (the National Association of Mental Illness) – “Marijuana/Hash/THC:
Marijuana is a hallucinogenic drug and appears to activate or trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals. This risk correlates with earlier and more intensive use.”
http://nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=First_Episode&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=127411
i) A friend of mine was using Marijuana, but he also was suffering from Bipolar Disorder, and he had several episodes in the course of two years which were aggravated by his use of Marijuana. I visited him in the Psy Ward in OC a couple of times for several weeks, and in another facility in LA while he was stabilized. His psychiatrist was adamant that he needed to stop his use of Marijuana. His psychosis and mental fugue was getting progressively worse. He stopped. His bipolar issues are under control.
ii) The question of THC triggering or aggravating psychosis even within our USA military/veterans population who may suffer from TBI or PTSD has been explored.
And it has also come up in the context of individuals who may have END of LIFE issues. Should marijuana use be allowed given that it may provide some relief? A tough call, but again another Psychiatrist that deals with End of Life issues, or with veterans has taken the stance that marijuana has to be VERY VERY closely monitored, because while it may provide some physical relief it may worsen a psychological issue.
iii) Another friend of mine, who was in the military, and who has battled drug addiction, has relapsed several times. My friend continues to think that she can use marijuana but not alcohol. But, I notice that when she has relapsed, and I receive the call to visit her, is because she had started using marijuana again. This is devastating her, and her love relations.
iv) The daughter of a friend of mine has been using drugs. I visited her several times over several months at a rehab center in Tijuana. She got back in her feet and was doing great. But the drug addiction has pulled her back in, and she is destroying herself.
v) A young nephew of mine confided in me that he was using Ecstacy. And that he was worried because he was noticing that he was now getting some paranoid attacks. He decided to stop.
1c) Also, so even “non-violent offenders” who might be peddling small amounts of THC may be causing harm to themselves or to others, because of people’s different metabolic reactions.
LAW ENFORCEMENT:
SEPARATELY. I will NEVER apologize for supporting our troops, our veterans, and our law enforcement, and for looking for cost-effective and efficient solutions that save lives.
A) Within law enforcement (LE), are there some small “bad apples” who may be impugning the reputation and professionalism of these brave men and women or abusing their authority? Of course. And we must all be vigilant about this. But I don’t immediately paint everyone negatively with broad strokes.
Case in point. The only time I have been illegally detained or allegedly “arrested”, I was in a civil and peaceful demonstration. My friends and I were walking and we were surrounded by riot police and were detained without any warnings to disperse, or without the event being declared an illegal assembly. I am standing around telling my friends to follow all police instructions, (I was still in the US Marines, and when I was in the US Marines we trained to also assist law enforcement with peaceful demonstrators) and out of the “blue” a cop hits me with the baton. Unprovoked. That was really stupid on his part. He was abusing his authority.
B) Within the Marine Corps, I have spoken up against some issues that I knew needed to be addressed some small, but three that were significant, and could have had deadly consequences, if left unaddressed. I did it using my name, and I threatened to “Request Mast” and go outside the base’s chain of command if necessary. As I learned in the Marines, you must always stand up for your beliefs, but right or wrong, you must be be prepared to also pay the consequences, because not everyone may agree with the merits of our argument. So my heart goes out to the LEAP individuals referenced in the NY Times article link you provided.
C) LAW Enforcement. While I always give our military and our police the benefit of the doubt because they do put their lives on the line for us, I will speak and have done so when I see a potential abuse of power.
c1) I have publicly spoken about a 17-year old from Santa Ana who was brutalized by some SAPD. This young man was not doing anything illegal.. The young man could have died if his mom had not taken him to the emergency room that night. He had a collapsed lung and broken ribs. I Suggested to the mom that we should mobilize the community. She is pursuing this with an attorney.
c2) I have also spoken publicly about another young man 20-year old student. Also nothing criminal. It looks like he was wrongfully accused of a crime. I was lining up the dad with legal resources. Unfortunately, against my advice and the advice of his dad, he “pleaded” to a lesser charge, thinking that he might be out immediately but he will have to spend about a year in prison. Definitely an injustice.
c3) Also by default I respected our SAPD Chief of Police. But this was Up until he engaged in unprofessional and unethical conduct by his improper campaign efforts on behalf of a politician. I have spoken and written about this publicly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9qcXj78EFo
Now, am I willing and ready to put my personal feelings aside and work with the SAPD Chief for the well-being and public safety of our citizens in Santa Ana or anywhere else, or for the fiscal stability of Santa Ana. Of course.
FINALLY:
But even with all of the above, this does not take away the fact that the CA Department of Justice in particular DLE special agents are putting their lives on the line for us, have significantly prevented further Violent crime, and are doing so in a very cost-effective manner.
And I know that by KILLING these critical services as proposed by the Governor, will in fact cause the KILLING of many of our citizens. This is not fear-mongering, but a reality.
We can cut DLE services if funding is not restored, but the discretion must be given to CA Attorney General Kamala Harris to decide how to spread these cuts, by UNALLOCATING these cuts.
Francisco Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
Francisco:
So instead of marijuana, you would allow the use of “legal” drugs that are more harmful and have caused more deaths like OxyContin, Valium and Percoset? I know about the NAMI “study” and regardless of whether or not it is valid (it has been debunked along with the “gateway drug” theory), it is not justification for making marijuana illegal and a Schedule I drug.
If you are so concerned about the effects of asprin, why don’t you do something about it? What is your resolution? Make it illegal and lock everyone up like we do right now so we can spend more money on programs that you are begging us to continue funding? Like you have already admitted, you’ll give law enforcement “the benefit of the doubt” and make some paranoid claim that criminals are going to run rampant because your department is stretched and doesn’t have the money. In fact, your departments waste the monies we give you by pursuing non-violent criminals over the rapists and murderers.
“Also, so even “non-violent offenders” who might be peddling small amounts of THC may be causing harm to themselves or to others, because of people’s different metabolic reactions.”
I wonder why? Could it be that the powers that be caused the market for marijuana to be driven underground? No, it can’t be according to the fantasyland that you live in where cops are good and people who don’t wear the uniform are bad.
Besides, what qualifies law enforcement to make decision on matters that should be left to a health professional. Your nephew used Ecstacy and made a decision to do so. Do we need Barney Fifre or Rocoe P. Coltrane to assess whether or not the drug he made the choce to use is good for him. Or would a doctror suffice?
I’m not making any faulty assumptions because I see you for what you really are based upon your antiquated assumptions about drugs and your current support for the Drug Warriors. A police state apologist begging for more money.
@ Guy Fawkes:
Dude or Dudette, again, don’t be so one-dimensional, and stop throwing labels around as if there is no tomorrow, and don’t be so narrow minded in your “special interest”.
Case in point, you refer to Law Enforcement as DRUG Warriors.
They do more than enforce the current drug laws. They fight other kinds of violent crime or economic crimes.
Tell you what, if you smoke and you have your medical license, go roll one and chill !!!
An 18 year old woman tied a rope around her neck and jumped off a tree. She died. This was in the papers a few days ago.
the online register had a few paragraphs with not much info.
in the public comments a friend of the deceased said:
“she ddnt have much family, all she had was alot of friends that cared for her butt drugss took over her and she never noticed uss </3"