Oakland’s district attorney has vowed to fight “hate and racism” as she faces a possible recall vote after just 14 months in office.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is under pressure over rising crime levels in the moribund Bay Area city.
But he claims the campaign against him is being “funded by billionaires who have no interest in public safety,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I plan to fight the hate and racism that has been brought to Alameda County,” Price said Friday after a panel with other county prosecutors at the University of California, Berkeley.
It comes after she was accused of regularly branding “the media and Asians” as her enemies in an explosive $1.5 million legal filing.
Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price has vowed to fight “hate and racism” as she faces a possible recall vote after just 14 months in office.
The Alameda County District Attorney is under pressure over rising crime levels in the dying Bay Area city.
Crime has continued to rise under Price’s direction, increasing nearly 20 percent in 2023 compared to 2019. A woman is shown being dragged by her purse during a robbery in Oakland.
Price, who was previously a civil rights attorney, became the county’s first Black district attorney when she was elected in 2022.
He promised to reduce sentences for defendants under 25, crack down on police misconduct and end mass incarceration.
But a recall campaign was launched, with backers submitting 123,000 signatures to county election officials on Monday.
The county Registrar of Voters has 10 days to decide whether the petition includes at least 73,000 valid signatures to put the issue to a vote.
More than $2 million has been raised to remove Price from office, with the largest donation being $390,000 from Oakland resident and financier Phillip Dreyfuss.
The event’s panel was hosted by former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was ousted by city voters back in 2022. He was also accused of being soft on crime.
Boudin stated that he sought to “decrease reliance on incarceration as the primary response to social problems.”
But he called for tougher enforcement against big companies and arms manufacturers, adding: “In the process, I made some powerful enemies.”
While Price said: ‘Because of Chesa’s and my experience, we have become a punching bag.’ “Long sentences do not reduce crime.”
He noted how crime in the county had increased under District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, but “after my election, I’m suddenly responsible for things that had happened many moons before.”
Price, who was previously a civil rights attorney, became the county’s first Black district attorney when she was elected in 2022.
An Apple store in Oakland was robbed by a customer who ripped several iPhones from their stalls earlier this week. The Bay Area city has become synonymous with skyrocketing crime and prosecutors seemingly can’t address it.
Oakland’s only In-N-Out burger announced it is closing amid a series of crimes against its customers, including robberies like this one.
Price said his sentencing policies have not contributed to more crime and that his office has created a mental health commission and a civil rights office and settled with companies over improper disposal of hazardous waste.
His comments come after Patti Lee, who worked as Price’s spokesperson for about six months last year until she fired her, said the district attorney “constantly and openly” made derogatory comments about Asian Americans.
Her legal complaint, a precursor to a lawsuit, says she was fired for anti-Asian discrimination and after complaining about failure to perform her office duties.
She is seeking a $1.5 million settlement for emotional distress stemming from retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination and nonpayment of wages.
Oakland saw a 21 percent increase between 2022 and 2023. Burglaries increased 38 percent, while vehicle theft skyrocketed 45 percent.
The dystopian city saw 15,000 cars stolen last year, meaning around one in 30 of its residents had their car stolen.
In-N-Out Burger closed its only restaurant in the city due to a series of robberies in its parking lot, the only closure in the chain’s 70-year history.
A nearby Denny’s also closed, and California Governor Gavin Newsom sent in his own prosecutors in an attempt to clear up the mess.
Oakland’s equally progressive Mayor Sheng Thao is facing her own ouster over the chaos that ensued after the city’s reputation fell apart during her tenure.