Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans Thursday to send state attorneys to Alameda County to address “serious and complex crimes.”
Newsom is sending in additional deputy attorneys general from the state Department of Justice and attorneys from the state National Guard to Oakland and the East Bay to assist District Attorney Pamela Price’s office in prosecuting “violent crimes, serious drug-related crimes and property crimes, including retail theft and auto burglary,” according to a press release. The governor sent additional California Highway Patrol officers to the East Bay on Tuesday in the midst of a spike in crime in the area. (RELATED: Crime Has Gotten So Bad In Blue City That Companies Are Now Paying For Security Escorts To Protect Employees)
“The East Bay is my home, and I’m committed to ensuring that the people of Oakland can live and work in a safe community,” Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the press release. “The California Department of Justice has legal and law enforcement expertise to bring to bear as we work collaboratively to hold bad actors accountable. I welcome this partnership with local and state law enforcement, the Governor’s Office, and most importantly, the Oakland community, to ensure that justice is done so that Oakland residents can thrive and prosper.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 15: California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks during a news conference outside of an Amazon distribution facility on November 15, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Crime spiked in Oakland in 2023, with robberies, burglaries and motor vehicle theft increasing 38%, 23% and 44%, respectively, according to police data. Nearly one in every 30 residents had a car stolen last year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A recall campaign was launched against Price in July. The district attorney repeatedly pushed lenient sentencing policies and downgraded charges for violent crimes in the county, which citizens and business owners told the Daily Caller News Foundation in September have emboldened criminals.
“If you’re not actually charging people and holding them accountable, they’re going back out on the street,” recall campaign organizer Brenda Grisham told the DCNF. “We’re talking people that have killed people are back out on the street.”
Price and Newsom did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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