(Keith Wayne Boyer: Whittier Police Department)
Last year was a sad year for California law enforcement. In October 2016, L.A. County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen was shot and killed by a twice-convicted felon in Lancaster.
That same month, two officers were shot and killed by a man in Palm Springs. Officers Lesley Zerebny and Jose Vega were ambushed by a known gang member who should have been locked up.
Why were these killers on our streets? Well, you can thank Jerry Brown and all of the voters who approved Prop 47 and Prop 57.
Brown has it in his head that California's prisons are overcrowded, and instead of building more prisons he wants to let criminals out.
In 2011 he passed Assembly Bill 109, which moved a number of felony offenders from state prisons to county jails.
Prop 47 as well as Prop 57, which was passed last November, accelerate moving "non-violent" offenders from jails.
The problem is the definition of a "non-violent" crime. Did you know that rape of an unconscious person is considered "non-violent" under Prop 57?
What kind of disgusting madness is that?! What 47 and 57 do is look at a criminal's last conviction, and if it's "non-violent" they get let off the hook.
That's no way to look at a criminal! You have to look at their whole rap sheet!
Sadly yesterday we saw another repercussion of California's dangerous policies. Whittier police officer Keith Wayne Boyer was shot and killed by a a recent parolee who opened fire with a semi-automatic gun.
Boyer was responding to a traffic accident. He had no idea what was waiting for him at the scene.
At a press conference yesterday, Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper expressed his frustrations with the state's laws:
"We need to wake up. Enough is enough! You're passing these propositions, you're creating these laws that is raising crime."
He added that it's time to "take our heads out of the sand."
He's right! Our officers' hands are tied because the state would rather take care of killers and criminals than the law abiding people.
Jerry Brown should be ashamed of himself and he needs to admit he's wrong. He can't be silent on this anymore. Shut up about your train, shut up about climate change, shut up about sanctuary cities, and do something to protect the lives of Californians!