Gascón marks 1 year in power, denies responsibility for spikes in crime

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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said on Wednesday he was constantly looking for ways to make the community safer just over a year after being sworn in, but denied that his policies – including a series directives limiting the length of prison sentences – have led to an increase in homicides and armed robberies.

“Most crime is down, but for homicides and the reality is that we prosecute these cases when they are presented to us,” Gascón told reporters at a downtown press conference alongside a group of other prosecutors from across the United States who have said they support his efforts.

Gascón said he “is not playing down the fact that homicides are on the rise,” and said the increase needs to be dealt with effectively.

“There are a lot of intricacies in what’s going on,” the district attorney said, later adding that prosecutors “go about it aggressively” and criminals “go to jail” and are “held accountable.” responsible ”.

When asked if his policies were responsible for the higher homicide rate and a wave of armed robberies, ”Gascón replied,“ Absolutely not.

He noted that “as a young cop working in 1978 (the) Hollywood Division, we started having restaurant thefts. … Years later, we had home thefts that occurred. We have people knocking on doors not so long ago and robbing the homes of people who looked wealthy.

“The reality is that we go through the cycles and we go through the cycles for various reasons,” the district attorney said, noting that police have yet to present potential cases to his office involving the “smash-and -grab “flights.

Shortly after taking office last December, Gascón quickly came under fire from some victims and their families, as well as the association representing Los Angeles County Assistant Prosecutors – the latter having filed a civil complaint against the instructions. It also faces a new recall effort that was announced this week.

Gascón has been criticized by family members of some victims – including relatives of a Whittier police officer who was murdered in the line of duty – for his directives, including removing the death penalty as punishment potential for defendants in some murder cases.

But Gascón claimed that the district attorney’s office had previously called for the death penalty almost exclusively against people of color and that people with intellectual disabilities had been sentenced to death. He noted that four of the five people who were subsequently re-sentenced to life in prison without parole had cognitive or intellectual disabilities.

Desiree Andrade, campaign co-chair Recall DA George Gascón, said in a statement released after the press conference that the district attorney was “completely deaf to the impact of his policies on victims and public safety.”

“Gascón’s challenge of reality and his attempt to double his pro-criminal agenda in the face of uncontrollable crime demonstrates the urgency and the need to impeach him immediately,” said Andrade, whose son was killed in 2018.

The district attorney countered that the justice system offered victims “a solution” – a long sentence – before he took office, saying the office had “functioned towards victims like a factory making gadgets”.

“The victims deserve so much more than this,” Gascón said.

The district attorney said his office takes a “proactive approach to violence prevention” and “constantly” seeks ways to make the community safer and “to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”

“The reality is that a punishment-based approach to work does not serve us well. Keeping an eye out is not the way government should behave, and I want to make sure that the way we do our job is to provide service to everyone, to continue to provide care that is mindful of people. trauma, both for the victims want more punishment and those who don’t… ”he said.

He praised the office’s achievements over the past year, including the filing of criminal cases against 21 law enforcement officials, including one accused of murder and 21 others in public corruption cases. It also noted that 77 requests to transfer juvenile cases to adult court under one of its guidelines have been withdrawn under its directive to immediately end the practice of returning young people to adult court. the adult justice system, as well as 25 other recalled cases in which defendants were re-sentenced as minors.

Gascón marks 1 year in power, denies blame for spikes in crime was last modified: December 8, 2021 by collaborating editor

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