Enjoy Your Crime! Effort to Recall L.A. County DA Gascon Fails

Nick Kangadis | August 16, 2022
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Something’s rotten in the city of Los Angeles, and no, we’re not talking about Skid Row.

The petition to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon came up just short of the required number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot because of invalid signatures.

According to KTLA, out of the 715,833 signatures obtained, only 520,050 were deemed valid. Nearly 200,000 signatures were classified as invalid for reasons ranging from having signatures from people not registered to vote to “canceled” signatures.

KTLA reported:

Gascón was elected in 2020 on a pledge to reform the county’s criminal justice system. Since he took office, juveniles are no longer being charged as adults, sentencing enhancements that he says lead to mass incarceration have been eliminated and cash bail for nonviolent felony offenses has ended. Misdemeanors associated with substance abuse and mental illness are also being diverted out of the criminal justice system.

Recall organizers argue Gascon’s policies favor defendants and have contributed to a rise in crime in Los Angeles County.

And while the Los Angeles City Council recently approved increased police funding in neighborhoods like Hollywood, crime in general ticked up in 2021 and continued into 2022.

Related: ‘You Have Neglected Your Duty’: DeSantis Fires Rogue State Attorney Andrew Warren

The Los Angeles Times reported back in March:

Homicides in Los Angeles hit 397 in 2021, the most in more than a decade and a 50% increase from 2019 — but well short of the 1,000 deaths reached during years in the 1990s.

Nearly 400 people have been killed in L.A. in 2021, marking a 50% increase since 2019 and the loss of 15 years of progress driving down such violence.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the civilian Police Commission on Tuesday that robberies involving firearms were up 57% from 2020 and 60% from 2019 — with hundreds more incidents so far this year than last.

Through the middle of March, property crime was up more than 5% over last year, with car thefts again a major concern. Compared to this point in 2020, vehicle thefts are up nearly 44%.

Well, with Gascon avoiding a recall in L.A. County, Los Angelinos can sleep easy knowing the crime will continue at its current rate.

 

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