Make Neighborhoods Safe and Secure Our Borders

By Bill Horn

Supervisor Horn's commitment to build upon accomplishments for safe neighborhoods and a secure border

In addition to the Border Fence, measures need to be taken to support a more stringent voter identification process, including photo identification at the polls. We have a right to know that only American citizens vote in our elections. Proof of citizenship when registering to vote helps insure that democracy is protected at the polls. In 2004 I put the County in the lead on Voter ID by supporting federal legislation and lobbying the Secretary of State to enforce a zero tolerance policy on voter fraud. I am committed to continuing to put pressure on our state and federal legislators to prevent fraud at the polls.

One way illegal immigration impacts us is public safety. I support The Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act. It will deny entrance to any alien who is a member of a criminal street gang and will immediately deport them. Shooters at the border end up on our streets shooting kids. In 2004, the North County Gang Task Force, which I helped create, arrested 408 gang members. 260 of them were illegal aliens.

What the federal government won't do is left to us. We have to pick up the bodies and the tab.

Our Sheriff, Bill Kolender and District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis have been tremendous in running gangs out of our County or locking them up. Last year, the D.A.'s felony and misdemeanor conviction rate was 92%. And the gang prosecution division had an 88% conviction rate.

I was at the forefront in developing working relationships between the County and our Faith-based community. Today we are using these neighborhood heroes to fight gangs, care for Foster children, and find shelter for the needy.

I'm proud to have created the Child Assessment Network - North (CANN), a pilot program hailed for its success in caring for abused, abandoned, and neglected young people in North County. A stunning achievement is a dramatic increase in the number of North County foster children who are kept in North County communities instead of being admitted to Polinsky Children's Center in Kearny Mesa.