Officers say Props 47 and 57 made the streets dangerous. But there's no proof.

February 2017

Charis Kubrin, Professor of Criminology, Law and Society, is interviewed by 89.3 KPCC's Take Two in light of the recent shooting that left a Whittier police officer dead. Despite the assumptions made by Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper placing the blame on crime policies like Prop 47 and Prop 57, Kubrin states that there is no empirical evidence that these policies have actually contributed to the crime rate in the state of California. Ultimately, she illustrates that it is premature to assume there is a connection between Prop 47 and 57 and the current crime rates.

From 89.3 KPCC's Take Two:

The problem with these claims is that there is no proof.

"We have have no empirical evidence, one way or another, as to Prop 47's [and Prop 57's] role in crime in the state of California," says UC-Irvine criminologist Charis Kubrin. 

It can take researchers like her several years to get statewide data, crunch the numbers and draw reasonable conclusions about a policy.

And Props 47 and 57 are still relatively new.

"You have to at least allow some time to pass in order to determine crime, post a policy," she says.

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