San Francisco voters on Tuesday recalled progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin after his reforms to reduce incarceration were trashed as “soft-on-crime,” The Washington Post reports.
Boudin, a former public defender, was elected in 2019 after pushing for a less punitive justice system. But as crime rose in San Francisco and cities around the country during the pandemic, Boudin became a convenient punching bag.
About 60% of San Francisco voters backed the recall.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who called for a crackdown on “criminals who are destroying our city,” will appoint his replacement.
Boudin touts falling rates:
Though Boudin was attacked over rising crime rates, violent crime declined this year under his watch.
“Crime rates stayed flat or declined,” Boudin told supporters on Tuesday. “We’ve already won, because we are part of a national movement that recognizes we can never incarcerate our way out of poverty. We have shown San Francisco and the world that we do not need to rely on fearmongering or exploitation of tragedy to build safety.”
Boudin touted falling incarceration rates after his office focused on mental health and drug treatment.
“The movement that got us elected in 2019 is alive and well,” he said. “We see the results from coast to coast, from north to south.”
LA next?
Critics are similarly pushing to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.
“George Gascon is, you’re next,” Deputy Los Angeles District Attorney Jon Hatami told Fox News on Monday. “The people of Los Angeles have had enough.”
“There are many individuals that are willing to collaborate with others and come up with some good reforms, but reforms that don’t sacrifice public safety,” Hatami continued. “I think George Gascon has poisoned the well so much.”
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva issued a similar warning.
“You don’t get to be sheriff of LA County in supporting a failed district attorney like George Gascon,” he said.
