The Home Stretch of a Heated Battle:
Should Alameda County DA Pamela Price be Removed from Office?
With mail-in ballots now in the hands of voters, the campaigns for and against recalling progressive DA Pamela Price are making their final appeals. See our previous article from September 2023, “Progressive Prosecutors Face Another Recall, Now in Alameda County.”
This contest has attracted national attention as a milestone in the fight over transforming our criminal legal system versus reverting to a “tough on crime” approach.
Since the widespread national protests following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer boosted the cause of criminal justice reform, there has been a growing counter-movement that blames progressive DA’s and other elected officials for incidents of crime.
In a campaign marked by much misinformation, it is very important to take a careful, critical look at the claims and arguments from both sides, before casting your vote in this crucial referendum.
The campaign against the recall Price measure, “Protect the Win for Public Safety,” is urging voters to take a good look at the following sources of information and to vote no rather than sitting out the vote. The recall proponents are very well-funded, but you make the decision, not them!
On October 5, 2024, “Protect the Win” denounced the endorsement by local police unions for the recall. For historical context, DA Price pointed out that:
Police unions have long held sway over the office of the district attorney and dictated the DA’s agenda….For too long, DAs have been beholden to these unions, and the result has been a system that neglects the needs of our community and is riddled with racial disparities. I promised to change that, and I’m delivering on that promise. This kind of backlash is to be expected.
The police unions had their century to manage the criminal justice system, and it didn’t work. We are just starting to tackle the deep-rooted issues that drive crime, and we cannot let those who are threatened by change derail the progress we’re making. This recall is about power, not public safety.
It’s important to understand what DA Price accomplished in her first year in office, 2023. In her annual report, she summarizes these key points:
I am proud to say that I have kept my promises: to treat kids like kids, reject excessive sentences that do not promote public safety, target gun violence and gender-based crimes, improve the administration of justice and work with our communities and stakeholders to “go upstream” to address the root causes of crime to keep people safe.
This “FICTION vs. FACT” document gives answers to some of the allegations that have been made against “Madame DA.”
See this webpage for recent news from the DA’s Office.
Finally, Congressmember Barbara Lee commented on October 8:
I’ve always opposed recalls and oppose the recalls on our November 5th ballot. They’re undemocratic, costly, and chaotic. They prevent our officials from governing and deplete badly needed resources from our communities.
