1995-010 Supporting Evelyn Gort Career Criminal Act' RESOLUTION N0.10-95
A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF
THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA,
URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO ENACT
THE OFFICER EVELYN GORT CAREER CRIMINAL
ACT IN THE 1~~G~S ,AT V~S~~~D,
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, public safety and tranquility is and should always
be the highest priority of government, and
WHEREAS, crime and the fear of crime in Florida negatively
affects the quality of life in Florida and threatens thq economy
of the state, and
WHEREAS, Florida's citizens are being threatened by criminal
activity, in particular, crimes committed by repeat offenders known
as career criminals, and
WHEREAS, career criminals are individuals arrested and
convicted repeatedly, and~then returned to the community to
commit even more crimes, and
WHEREAS, the Officer Evelyn Gort Career Criminal Act (THE
ACT) is named after a Dade County Police Officer, murdered by a
22-year-old career criminal who amassed 21 felonies since his 18th
birthday, received only 2 state prison sentences, and served only
six months for both sentences combined, and
WHEREAS, the Act is presently a proposed law that would, if
passed, impose fixed, lengthy terms of imprisonment on persons
convicted of burglary of a structure, robbery or other forcible
felonies, who have previously been convicted three times or more
for forcible felonies, and who have been sentenced to at least
one prior state prison incarceration, and,
WHEREAS, the Act would also impose a mandatory 15 year prison
term on any person convicted of possessing a firearm who has three
or more previous convictions or delinquency adjudications for forci-
ble felonies, and
WHEREAS, the Act provides that career criminals receive a man-
datory prison term of 10 years, 30 years, or life, depending on the
degree of the forcible felony for which they are convicted, and
WHEREAS, the Act prevents career criminals from serving less
than 85% of their sentence, and
WHEREAS, the Act is imperative to isolate violent career crimi-
nals who commit an inordinate number of the crimesiin-~o.ur.commurii~y,
ruining the quality of life in Florida, as well as causing immea-
' surable pain, suffering and loss to victims and their loved ones,
and
WHEREAS, the Act must be passed by the Florida Legislature
so career criminals will no longer ruin the quality of life in
Florida.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF NORTH PALM BEACH,
FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Village Council of the Village of North Palm
Beach urges the Florida Legislature to enact the Officer Evelyn
Gort Career Criminal Act in the 1995 Legislative Session.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect immediately
upon its adoption.
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PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 9th DAY OF February 1995.
(Village Sea..l)
YOR
ATTE~~T /~i .,JL./.~ /A~//.
/ 1 VIL A E LE