“In 2021, that 36 percent has now become 92 percent, which is a huge statistical jump,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva told The Epoch Times. “We’re seeing increases in all the categories—assault with a deadly weapon, arson, rape … these things are continuing upward unabated.”
While Gascón has defended his reform policies, criminals in prison are toasting the DA to celebrate their early release, according to officials—and the sheriff said the DA’s policies are making it more difficult for him to do his job.
“You’re supposed to have a district attorney who represents the people … but [he’s] acting like a public defender,” Villanueva said. “There’s no one left representing the people. I need to work in partnership with the person who’s representing the people.
Impacting Public Safety
Gascón’s attempt to “reimagine public safety” with a series of new policies, or directives, has been widely criticized by deputy district attorneys, lawyers, current and former officials, and families of victims. Now, the DA is facing a recall.“Had he campaigned on what he did once he took office and established those special directives … he'd have lost in a landslide. This is a classic example of bait-and-switch,” said Villanueva.
“It’s just gonna make a very, very dangerous place a lot more unlivable,” said Villanueva, adding that African American and Latino communities are going to be affected the most—the same communities that Gascón’s reforms claim to protect.
“It’s not going to impact the Gascóns of the world and their supporters, their campaign contributors … the people that live behind their mansions where they have their private security—no, no, no,” Villanueva said. “Those poorest neighborhoods [with] the highest crime rate, they’re gonna see [the impact] immediately. In fact, they already are.”
‘That’s How Bad the Situation Currently Is’
Gascón maintains that his policies have produced the results he intended.“We are doing all of this because the science and data tell us so. We can truly enhance public safety, increase equity, expand victim services and strengthen police accountability.”
Villanueva dismissed Gascón’s claims as “hogwash.”
“He believes, bizarrely, that somehow by letting people out, it’s going to improve or lower recidivism, [and] that keeping people locked up longer increases recidivism. And I'd say he has no facts to support that at all. No science is going to back that,” Villanueva said.
“They’re claiming that victims of violent crime want to see more rehabilitation and less consequences in terms of incarceration, and that’s news to me. … Every single victim of violent crime—parents of murdered kids, for example—that’s not what they’re saying at all.”
But Villanueva said this approach overlooks the “noble fallacy that somehow everyone is redeemable.”
“There are people that are not,” he added.
Furthermore, the elimination of strict legal repercussions is sending the wrong message to perpetrators, Villanueva said.
“Mr. Gascón is telling the criminal community it’s OK to commit violent crime because you will not face the same consequences in the past,” he said. “Right now, they’re toasting Gascón in the state prison for a reason.”
Recall Effort Ramps Up
If the families of violent-crime victims have their say, Gascón will face a recall in 2022.“He clearly is not here for the victims. He’s here for the suspects,” Tania Owen, co-chair of the recall campaign, told The Epoch Times.
For Owen, a 32-year veteran of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, the consequences of Gascón’s reforms hit home. Her husband, Sgt. Steve Owen, was murdered in the line of duty in Lancaster on Oct. 5, 2016. The man who shot him, Trenton Trevon Lovell, originally faced life in prison without parole, or the death penalty.
Gascón’s reforms would have taken those options off the table, allowing Lovell to serve 20 to 25 years before being released. Last month, however, Lovell surprised Owen by pleading guilty to all charges, including the sentencing enhancements.
“It’s interesting to me because he could have very easily fought this and gone to court and likely received less time,” Owen said. “But he took the maximum, which effectively means he is going to die in prison. At least he, the murderer, had more empathy for my family than the district attorney, who should be the one protecting us.”
“He is not following the law, and we want accountability,” Owen said. “Crime in Los Angeles has skyrocketed in the very short amount of time that he has been here. There has been more aggression towards law enforcement because criminals know that they’re going to have it easy.”
“From fear-mongering to scare tactics, we are watching history repeat itself. But this time, reform will prevail,” he stated.
But Villanueva indicated the movement against Gascón is growing. Recall campaign organizers have until Oct. 27 to collect 580,000 qualified signatures—about 10 percent of L.A. County’s voters. They’re aiming to gather more than 800,000, in case some are invalidated.
“If [the recall] doesn’t go through, you’re going to have a lot more angry residents building up, day in and day out,” he said, adding that he expects to see more cities issuing no-confidence resolutions in the near future.
Gascón received $2 million in campaign funding from billionaire George Soros, who is known for bankrolling leftist politicians and organizations.
Gascón’s office didn’t immediately respond to questions submitted by The Epoch Times.
