We put bad guys in jail, right....

I find that this country goes through phases in the way it handles crime, from "harder" to "softer." Or in another way, more "law and order" to more "treatment." Earlier this year I authored a piece in the American Thinker entitled "Cops Going Galt." One of the points I made was effective policing must be proactive. And we are seeing the results where federal "oversight" is strangling effective law enforcement.

Now we have the People's Republic of California and their latest and greatest example of trying to not enforce law. From Police Global, a look at the former Golden State...God help us all.

Three Years Ago, California Decided To Go Easy On Crime. The Results Of Their Experiment Are In.

Three years ago, there were some changes made to lessen California’s overpopulation in jails and prisons.

Voters approved Proposition 47, which would loosen law enforcement standards on crime. At the time, it was believed that taking these measures wouldn’t have much impact on crime.

Now, three years later, local law enforcement officials are pointing to that 2014 proposition approval as the reason for the drastic increase in crime in California.

Fox 11 Los Angeles reports that while arrests are down 30 percent since the new law, violent crime is up 40 percent in Los Angeles since Prop 47 went into effect, with many felony crimes downgraded to misdemeanors. That’s pretty significant.

Estimates show that, specifically, the Inland Empire region in California went from 9th in the nation in vehicle thefts to 5th in just a year, from 2015 to 2016.

Riverside police Sgt. Sean Brown noted: “The punishment is very minimal. If nobody goes to jail for committing a crime, what’s to prevent them from committing more crimes?”

Additionally, Ontario police Sgt. Jeff Higbee noted that the laws mean there is “little to no jail time associated with a single theft.”

California Assemblyman Matt Harper further explained that the rise in crime was correlated to the proposition, telling Fox News: “California is certainly having a significant problem with the increase of crime in our state.”

Harper added, “The only thing that’s really showing a difference in terms of how we approach crime and criminals is this change in our law allowing people to be able to go out on the streets, which previously they would have stayed in prison and not be committing crimes. To play these nonviolent offender games [is] a recipe for disaster.”

Those commenting on Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Facebook post about the story had a lot to say, as you’d expect, with comments such as: “You don’t say. Hmmmm I wonder who could have predicted that releasing a bunch of criminals would cause the crime levels to raise…let me think...”

I say "God help us all" because there is an old saying, "You want to see America in twenty years, look at California now." I pray not. If it wasn't for immigration, mainly illegal, California would be loosing population over the last decade. High taxes, deficits, a state debt that cannot be repaid, Sacramento is pushing out producers and coddling consumers. Texas gets in people from California (as does Colorado, Utah and Nevada) because these people cannot take any more. Hopefully the disease knows as liberalism goes no further, but I know better.