The Problem: 

Over the past decade, California's criminal justice reforms have been over-corrected and driven by political pressure. The result? Reckless legislation prioritizes rehabilitation over accountability, leading to light criminal sentences, early prison release, and a surge in violent crime and property crimes, such as smash-and-grab robberies. 

The Solution: 

Californians demand a balance between compassion for the underserved and accountability for repeat offenders. We must address lawlessness, crime, and fear while prioritizing common sense and balance in public safety policies. California Police Chiefs seek fair and thoughtful legislation from like-minded Legislators.

The Strategy:

Defeat legislation that erodes public safety. 

This includes measures like Senate Bill 94, which allowed for the release of violent murderers currently serving life without parole and bills limiting critical law enforcement tools, including Assembly Bill 742, which would have banned police canines. We were successful in defeating these bills this year, but only by very slim margins.

Promote Legislation that addresses the rise in crime. 

Our focus is on repeat offenders responsible for causing most of the increase in crime and disorder. With leadership changing in the Senate and Assembly, there will be opportunities to support pro-public safety measures such as Senate Bill 14, which increased penalties on human-traffickers.

Support candidates committed to public safety.

We need to widen our support from legislators in the Senate and Assembly. With enough law enforcement advocates, we are able to expend vast resources defending against harmful new bills, instead of fixing problems. There are 25 open seats between the Senate and Assembly in the 2024 elections, with 1 2 opportunities to gain more moderate, pro-public safety legislators. We also need to protect at least 6 seats from anti-law enforcement challengers.

To put the importance of each vote into perspective – some of the most recent damaging bills have passed by a slim margin. Legislation reducing penalties on repeat serious felons and gun crimes, allowing releases in felony murder cases, and making it harder to prosecute gang crimes have all passed by only one or two votes. Electing legislators who prioritize public safety can change these outcomes and create opportunities to fix compounded problems created by a decade of disorganized, misdirected reform.

Call to Action:

The CPCA Political Action Committee was formed to improve long-term public and community safety throughout the state of California. We need your financial support to make a positive impact in upcoming elections.