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<br />PROP. 83 from page 1 <br /> <br />8A <br />Page 12 <br /> <br />...... ......... III ............................. <br /> <br />The board's decision was made after exten- <br />sive review of the measure by the League's Public <br />Safety Policy Committee, which recommended <br />the League support the initiative that will appear <br />before voters on the November ballot. <br /> <br />Proposition 83 makes several changes to <br />current law relative to sex offenders and sexually <br />violent predators (SVPs), including enhanced <br />penalties and prison sentences, increased moni- <br />toring through Global Positioning Systems (GPS), <br />and residency restrictions. <br /> <br />Though many provisions of Prop 83 are <br />intended to enhance pubfic safety, several con- <br />cerns have been raised by city officials and policy <br />experts, including: <br /> <br />· The over-concentration of sex offenders in <br />rural areas as a result of the residency restriction <br />preventing registered sex offenders from residing <br />within 2,000 feet of a school or park where chil- <br />dren congregate. <br />· Sex offenders who live in rural areas will <br />have less access to rehabilitative services, jobs <br />and transportation, and will be more difficult for <br />law enforcement to monitor. <br />· Larger metropolitan cities, like Los Angeles <br />and San Francisco, have virtually no locations in <br />city limits where registered sex offenders could <br />reside, which could disproportionately impact <br />other cities. <br />· Potential costs to local governments that <br />may trickle down relative to GPS tracking, parole <br />supervision and local law enforcement monitoring. <br /> <br />Soecific Provisions of Proposition 83 Include: <br /> <br />· Prohibits registered sex offenders from <br />living within 2,000 feet of any school or park and <br />allows local govemments to include additional <br />sites as deemed appropriate. <br />· Increases mandatory minimum sentences <br />to 15-25 years to life for various sexual offenses, <br />including the rape of a child under the age of 14, <br />and continuous sexual abuse. <br />· Eliminates good-time and work-time <br /> <br />credits for sex offenders. <br />· Requires registered felony convicted sex <br />offenders to wear a GPS tracking device for life, <br />and orders offenders to pay for their own GPS <br />equipment, if financially able. <br />· Creates an indeterminate term of commit- <br />ment for sexually violent predators and provides <br />that an offender can be categorized as an SVP <br />after one affirmed sexually violent crime. <br />· Requires an SVP's parole period to begin <br />upon discharge from the state hospital, instead of <br />receiving credit for participating in the SVP pro- <br />gram. <br />· Allows possession of child pornography to <br />be prosecuted as a felony and makes possession <br />of child pornography a felony if the offender has a <br />prior sex offense conviction. <br />· Allows law enforcement to act as decoys <br />in order to engage and capture Internet predators. <br />· Imposes an additional five-year prison term <br />for persons who drug their victims in the commis- <br />sion of sexual crimes, such as rape. <br />· Provides for parole terms of up to 10 years <br />for the most heinous sex offenses. <br /> <br />r-----------------, <br /> <br />You Could Have Your Own <br />Subscription to <br />Western City magazine. <br />Subscribe Today! <br /> <br />Only Western City magazine brings you <br />practical ideas and information you need to <br />know about local government in California. <br />Western City magazine presents big-picture <br />policy issues and trends in a format suited <br />for busy professionals, with concise feature <br />articles and in-depth series that explore <br />statewide issues. Stay informed about city <br />issues across California. Subscribe today. <br />Visit: www.westemcitv.comlDf. <br /> <br />L__~______________~ <br /> <br />PAGE 12 . PRIORITY FOCUS <br /> <br />VISit the league's Official Website-www.cacities.org <br />