New Anti-Gang Legislation Heads to Governor's Desk

As many of you know, our state is engaged in an ongoing battle with gang activity. In Salinas and Watsonville, two cities in my district, gang activity has been increasing at an alarming rate.

In response to this gang activity, earlier this year I introduced SB 492, which passed out of the Legislature yesterday. As you can watch in the above video, I am deeply committed to stopping gang activity, especially around school grounds.

SB 492 will impose a sentencing enhancement for any registered gang member convicted of loitering on school grounds. While this bill certainly isn't the silver bullet in our ongoing fight to end gang violence, it is an important tool for law enforcement and school officials.

Children should not be afraid to go to school, nor should they be forced to witness gang activity happening right outside their classroom windows.

I will continue to work on this important issue to help my district get the tools it needs to help fight gang violence.