UPDATE: New bill to freeze criminal organizations’ finances heads to CA Senate

UPDATE 5/28/2015: A bill that would authorize state law enforcement to freeze gang assets moved forward to the CA Senate Thursday. AB 443 passed on the CA Assembly floor in a 71 to 5 vote.

Authored by Assemblymember Luis Alejo, the bill aims to freeze the assets of criminal organizations to stop their activity.

PREVIOUS STORY: It’s a bill that could spark a lot of change. Assemblyman Luis Alejo is introducing a bill aimed at criminal organizations’ finances, including gangs. Specifically, the ability to freeze their money.

Prosecutors could freeze any criminal organization’s assets without giving them notice. Right now, they have to give notice, which could give the suspects time to move the money around. It’s a move that the Salinas police has seen time and time again.

Five years ago on the Central Coast, authorities scored a major bust. “Operation Knockout” yielded 40 lbs of cocaine, $34,000 in cash and a dozen guns. Not to mention, 40 known gang members were taken off the streets in one day.

Prosecutors said this new law would’ve been especially helpful then because cities, counties, the state and the feds worked together to take down a major organization. In a case like this, this plan could deal gangs a massive blow.

“Criminal gangs operate on power,” Salinas Police Deputy Chief Terry Gerhardstein said. “That’s all they seek and they derive their money through power. You take away power, that money, it really cripples them.”

Salinas police are quick to point out, even if this law is passed, criminals are likely to find ways to get around it. But, they believe this is a step in the right direction. It’s not just gangs that could be affected under the proposed law. It could also affect cases involving child pornography, embezzlement, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

To read the full bill or follow its progress, click here.