LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger supports recall of DA Gascón
LOS ANGELES - LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is voicing her support to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
The supervisor said public safety has deteriorated and blames the DA's zero-bail policy, calling it the last straw.
"Today's LA Times article about how the no-bail policy has impacted the diversion program, the very program that people like Gascón touted as being better than incarceration, and what we are finding is that his bail policies are now impacting getting people the help they deserve," Barger told FOX 11.
She said the DA's zero-bail policy has interfered with the diversion program and its ability to serve people who are suffering from addiction, mental illness and homelessness.
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"Diversion programs like this one seize a narrow window of opportunity to offer treatment and housing to arrested individuals who’ve hit rock bottom. But the quick release option put in place by Gascón’s policies squanders that opportunity. If there’s no rock bottom, there’s no incentive to accept help – instead, we’re left with a squandered opportunity to end suffering and help heal some of our community’s neediest individuals. As a result, I feel compelled to add my voice in support of the recall effort," she stated online.
Barger said diversion is something the entire board of supervisors believes in and is investing money in.
She wants to replace Gascón with someone championing victim's rights, safety and justice.
More than 400,000 voters have signed a Los Angeles County petition calling for Gascón's recall. The petition is required to have 566,857 by July 6 in order to get the recall question on the November ballot for Los Angeles voters.
Under Gascón's soft-on-crime policies, the county has seen a drastic increase in crime including follow-home robberies, smash-and-grab robberies, homelessness and homicide.