Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price told KPIX she does not believe her office has much of an impact when it comes to reducing crime and she feels safe living in the crime-ridden city of Oakland.
Only six months into the job, Price is facing a recall effort because families and public safety advocates say she is too lenient on criminals.
"I was elected because the people in this community didn't feel safe, unfortunately. We know that crime under my predecessor was pretty much exploding," Price said. "The DA's role has really no impact on crime. To create a safe community, we need to invest in alternatives to incarceration."
Alameda County DA Pamela Price, who is facing a recall because of high crime rates and her leniency towards criminals: "The DAs role has really no impact on crime...I feel safe" living in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/B28BY6WYZB
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 17, 2023
"Any time that we can divert someone from the criminal justice system, that is a goal because the criminal justice system has shown to be racially biased," she went on to say. "Often what studies have shown -- and it's true in Alameda County -- many times people who are perpetrators or labeled as perpetrators were actually victims."
Price claimed the recall effort is coming outside special-interest groups supported by the Republican Party, but KPIX noted local residents, include family members of crime victims, are leading the recall.
In May, Oakland residents voiced their anger at city officials over the increased crime rate, usually manifesting in violent muggings. They called for Oakland Police to be able to do their jobs.
Violent crime in Oakland has increased 7 percent this year and robberies are up 12 percent compared to the same period last year. Much of the rise in crime has been occurring in North Oakland. The San Francisco Chronicle reported North Oakland "has seen a 22 percent increase in robberies over last year — from 101 reports to 123 — and an 18 percent increase in violent crime, from 211 incidents to 249."
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