Keeping Us Safe
Our government has a sacred duty to help keep our communities safe. Following significant investments in public safety over the last few years, the Governor's 2023-24 Budget Proposal looks to further these efforts. Investments include $564.4 million to combat organized retail theft, $200 million for a Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program, an additional $93 million in the battle against the harm caused by opioids and fentanyl, and $65 million for research and grant programs to support peace officers' overall wellness along with a pilot training program on Use of Force and De-escalation.
The Legislature is taking action this year to address some of the most pressing public safety concerns, and I will continue to work with state and local partners on ways to keep you and your loved ones safer. From addressing the fentanyl crisis to our challenges with safety and homelessness, a swath of bills and proposals have been introduced and many are making their way through the legislature right now. Among many issues, I’ve been working with other members of the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation to press LA Metro on safety issues on our trains and buses. And I recently toured Ballona with Councilmember Traci Park and local public safety officials to learn more about what we can do to make the area safer.
Traffic safety and driver preparedness is one of the many issues that we’re working on in this space. We know all too well how much time southern Californians spend in cars. We also know that driving can be risky for all of us, but young, novice drivers contribute to a disproportionate amount of traffic accidents. Vehicle accidents are also a leading cause of death for American youth. My SB 473 will extend existing provisions for new drivers to include adults up to 21 years old, saving an estimated 500 young lives per year.
Wildfires continue to grow in size, severity, and frequency. To fight this, our budget will look to continue the allocations prescribed in the 2021-22 Budget Act of over $2.5 billion over four years to further prevent and fortify our communities from wildfires. Among the many challenges we face is that development projects are often approved in very high fire risk zones without a substantive plan to get people to safety in the event of a fire emergency. I introduced SB 571 to begin requiring proponents of developments of a certain size to create a plan – in consultation with the first responders who are charged with getting residents out of danger – on how to safely and efficiently evacuate those areas.
