Liberty Expose: Correcting Ineffective District Attorneys

Alameda County District Attorney's Office

There are so many positions of power within state and local governmental bodies that it can be difficult to know their roles and purposes. With violent crime on the rise, individuals are rightfully questioning: What are the purposes of district attorneys?

There seems to be a growing pattern of poor leadership, and our criminal justice system that is causing unnecessary suffering to the innocent people of the community. By answering this question, we can determine what makes an effective and, more importantly, ineffective district attorney.

What is a District Attorney

As chief federal law enforcement officer, the district attorney is to represent the government in criminal cases. They are responsible for ensuring that they represent the state, county, or individual that has been harmed by the crime.

Outrage occurs because individuals believe that district attorneys such as Pamela Price are openly choosing not to prosecute perpetrators of violent crimes because of racial discrimination. In her case, the attempted recall started when Terrence McCrary Jr., a 22-year-old, was killed by a stray bullet during a shooting. The perpetrator was originally charged with two murders by the previous District Attorney of Alameda County. However, Pamela Price turned the charges into voluntary manslaughter for the intended shooting victim, and the charges of death from the stray bullet were dropped altogether.

Rogue district attorneys have been accused of producing a pro-criminal, anti-victim approach, as well as using feel-good language like re-imagining the prosecution process.

Challenges of Urban Areas

The activity of a district attorney directly correlates to the number of criminal activities that are occurring in any given area. In particularly dangerous areas, many district attorneys have become household names because their direct actions have caused either an increase in violent crimes or created public outrage for being lax on convicted criminals.

It is particularly challenging to police areas that have much higher rates of crime. Urban areas have had higher rates for decades. When measured over the course of a ten-year period, the violent crime rate of urban counties is anywhere between 50 and 100% greater than that of rural areas.

The reason why people choose to commit crimes can be attributed to many different factors. Some would argue that it is a poor education or lack of opportunity that forces people into a life of crime. Regardless of the cause of perpetual violence, the solution remains the same.

Conservative Solution to Crime

Conservatives have a very basic philosophy of how we can reduce crime in these areas that have been playing with violence for generations. The answer is that you have to add more police. Many on the political left do not like to hear, however, that it is necessary to bring justice to crime-ridden areas.

Research has shown that the more police officers are injected into an area has a tremendous impact on reducing crime. If an additional ten percent of police officers are added by area, overall crime decreases anywhere between three and ten percent. This shows almost a linear progression of how more police officers correlate to less crime.

Others would argue that adding more police presence in urban areas would in fact have a negative impact on the minority groups living in this area. In actuality, the opposite is true. In predominantly black areas, additional police have a greater effect on reducing total crime.

"In per capita terms, the effects are approximately twice as large for black victims. In short, larger police forces save lives, and the lives saved are disproportionately black lives.”

The attempted recall of a Price is just one factor that will help in restoring Law and order to the people of Alameda County, However, nothing will happen if her replacement is someone whose ideology gets in the way of justice.

The Same Mistake Twice

It is very easy, after the whole process is over, to reinstate someone who promotes the same ideology with poor judgment when it comes to prosecuting criminal activity.

A clear example is actually depicted through the failed reelection effort of the former Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot. It was the issue of crime that caused Chicago natives to, for the first time in 40 years, lose a reelection. At the time, it seemed like Chicago was looking to promote an individual who would go hard against crime and promote effective police work. Instead, they chose to elect Brandon Johnson, who in just one year not only made crime more prevalent but also caused Chicago to rank in the bottom 10 cities for economic liberty. The city that ranks last for economic liberty is now Oakland, California, thanks to Pamela Price.

It is more than just removing the individual from the office. This by itself does not fix the issue, unless you let individuals who are willing to put forth the effort into actually prosecuting criminals to the extent of the law, crime will continue to persist in these areas. Unless Oakland or Alameda County are willing to elect someone who will follow the rule of law, they will continue to deal with the same problems they currently face.

Conclusion

The office of a district attorney has garnered a lot of tension over the last several years as the ones governing districts and major cities have failed in their duties in properly upholding the rule of law. The adoption of ulterior methods of handling and punishing criminals created a lack of incentive for people not to take advantage of their communities.

While the challenge may seem daunting, there is a solution. Elect district attorneys who understand the importance of allowing police officers to do their duty to protect individuals from being victims and their communities. Through this process, we can ensure safety and prosperity for ourselves and others.