A George Soros-funded progressive prosecutor in California said in an interview this week that her position "has no impact on crime."
"The D.A.'s role has really no impact on crime. To create a safe community, we need to invest in alternatives to incarceration," Alameda County district attorney Pamela Price, who is facing a recall effort after just six months in office, told a local CBS outlet.
Despite claiming her position has no impact on crime, Price blamed her predecessor for "exploding crime" in the Northern California county.
"I was elected because the people in this community didn't feel safe, unfortunately," Price said. "We know that crime under my predecessor was pretty much exploding."
The CBS interviewer asked Price about families of victims who have accused her of being "unfair" in giving "excessively" lenient sentences for violent crimes. Several of Price's prosecutorial decisions have attracted controversy, including her move to give a plea deal to a teen linked to three murders that will give him just seven years in juvenile hall.
In that case, Price ignored the advice of the sheriff's office in Alameda County, which urged her to charge Sergio Morales-Jacquez, now 18 years old, as an adult because of his "extensive and violent criminal history in multiple jurisdictions."
Price was elected in November and campaigned as an "unapologetic progressive" who wants to "upend" conventions like prison sentencing. She promised to "stop over-criminalizing our youth."
A group called "Save Alameda for Everyone" recently launched to raise money and gather signatures to get Price out of office.
During the interview, Price's public relations assistant stopped the interview to press the reporter to ask about Price's achievements. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I don't think you asked about the achievements of the first six months," Price's PR head Patti Lee said.
The reporter then asked what metrics Price is using to measure her achievements, and Price admitted her office has yet to establish them.
"I think the metrics are that we're beginning to create a baseline for the data that we have," Price said. "Unfortunately, we got here and the technology is pretty much outdated and underutilized."
Price took hundreds of thousands of dollars from progressive billionaire Soros during her campaign. Soros funds prosecutors across the country who promise to push progressive ideals, including eliminating cash bail.
