ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) -- A new report was released Thursday -- highlighting the accomplishments made over the first 75 days of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. A press conference was also held to push back against some of the controversies surrounding the new DA.
Price's transition team held a press conference to present a 75-day report of what they say are unprecedented reforms by the county's first Black district attorney.
Highlights of the first 75-days in office include:
- The first-ever comprehensive survey of the office’s victim-witness advocates to assess their needs and concerns about the services.
- Trauma-informed support training and information about restorative justice strategies for the entire victim-witness advocate workforce
- Creating an automated system to enable law enforcement, child protective services, and the district attorney’s office to share and track reports of child abuse
However, the new DA's first 75-days in office did not pass without controversy
"We are here also to clarify and rebuke some of the narratives that are there that have been recently spoken about," said Ray Bobbitt who is the co-chair of Alameda County District Attorney Transition Team.
Bobbitt is referring to reports that Price eliminated criminal sentencing enhancements. He says that is not true.
"What she did was change it to where you would have to get approval for enhancements. So, that's a difference," Bobbitt said.
There is also confusion about the new DA seeking to reduce the sentencing of a triple murder suspect. The judge, in that case, rejected the plea.
Civil rights and criminal defense attorney Paula Canny has been keeping an eye on the controversy surrounding Price and explains why the DA focusing on plea deals and reducing sentencing has caused some to be concerned after the her first 75-days in office.
"It certainly can have the appearance of being soft on crime and how does that impact community safety? So, people are freaking out because they think that her policies are going to make their community less safe. Which is a reasonable concern because we all want to live in a safe community," Canny said.
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The DA's transition team argues the fact that Price is a criminal justice reformer does not mean the community will be less safe.
"There is this narrative that she doesn't care about victims. As an African American, born and raised in east Oakland, we're all victims. We have people hurt. People who have died. People deeply affected. So, it's offensive," Bobbitt said.
As for why Price was not at this press conference, the transition team says she was busy preparing for a general assembly meeting of her entire office.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/MhCm3sZ
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