Los Angeles police officials and other authorities Monday were not happy about the potential impact of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to release up to 21,000 non-violent inmates from state prisons over the next two years.
Capt. Justin Eisenberg of the Los Angeles Police Department's Gang and Narcotics Division estimated about 6,000 of the parolees could end up in Los Angeles County, particularly on Los Angeles' Skid Row.
Guillermo Cespedes, who runs Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, called the situation "a bit of a crisis."
He said the release of inmates who are notorious gang members could disrupt progress made by gang interventionists in attaining truces and in convincing youths to stay away from gangs.
Councilman Dennis Zine, a former police officer, was infuriated by the governor's plan.
"It's a disaster that's going to happen," he said. "It really frustrates me that we've reduce crime and all of a sudden we're going to see a surge."
Maria Franco, chief deputy parole administrator for the California Department of Corrections, said the the state will check inmates' records thoroughly before releasing them, to minimize the risk of harm. She conceded, however, that inmates will not be subject to parole board supervision after they get out from behind bars.
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Franco said most of them were involved in narcotics crimes, though some were convicted of domestic abuse, grand theft auto, burglary and other offenses.
