SACRAMENTO–Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) announced last Thursday that he has introduced a bill that will assist law enforcement in shutting down the weapons stockpiles that street gangs use to terrorize neighborhoods. Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, who is sponsoring the bill, joined Kerkorian at a press conference to announce the initiative, Krekorian’s bill, AB 1013 would authorize prosecutors to bring eviction action against gang members who use their residences to stockpile illegal weapons and ammunition. AB 1013 is part of a broad package of bills that have been introduced by Democratic lawmakers, in partnership with City Attorney Delgadillo, to combat street gangs. In announcing introduction of the bill, Krekorian discussed the murder of Burbank police officer Matthew Pavelka by gang members in 2003, and the subsequent destructive impact on the entire Burbank community. "Sadly, many of our state’s neighborhoods must endure the oppressive fear of gun violence on a daily basis," Krekorian continued. "Too often, a small number of people committed to a life of violence and crime destroy entire neighborhoods. In many cases, these criminals rent houses and apartmen’s, which are not so much homes as they are ammunition dumps and weapons stockpiles, but landlords are too fearful to evict them."AB 1013, which I have introduced in collaboration with Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, will make neighborhoods safer by authorizing prosecutors to bring eviction actions against those who use their residences to stockpile illegal weapons and ammunition. Enactment of this law will give law enforcement another important tool to ensure that gang members have no safe haven and nowhere to hide." Specifically, AB 1013 stipulates that illegal possession of weapons or ammunition is a nuisance for purposes of Civil Code section 1161.4 and adds Section 12041 to the Penal Code to allow city attorneys and city prosecutors to bring unlawful detainer actions against persons who possess illegal weapons and ammunition and persons who illegally possess weapons. AB 1013 is set to be heard before the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 10, 2007.
