Prosecutors Alliance Action Executive Director Cristine Soto DeBerry issued the following statement in response to the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price:

“The people of Alameda County are understandably frustrated with homelessness and crime, and they deserve real solutions. Recalling District Attorney Pamela Price has never been that solution. After all, last year, law enforcement in Alameda County solved just 10 percent of violent crimes and three percent of property crimes. But instead of working with DA Price to hold people accountable and address the root causes of crime, police unions and deep-pocketed donors started working to remove her the day she was elected.

And why? Because they knew she’d keep her promise to hold law enforcement and corporations accountable, and that’s exactly what she’s done. The forces that supported this recall want accountability for everyone but themselves, and they’re willing to pay any price for it.

The recall of Pamela Price isn’t an indictment of criminal justice reform but an indictment of California’s recall system. Once again, we’ve seen a group of billionaires band together to game the recall system by misleading the public, overthrowing the will of the people, and ousting a prosecutor committed to reform.

This recall isn’t just disappointing, it’s deeply poisonous to our political system. When rich donors and law enforcement unions can’t win at the ballot box the first time around in California, they can now simply buy their way back onto the ballot and trap candidates they don’t like in endless, exhausting, and expensive campaigns. That’s not democracy, and it certainly doesn’t make our communities safer.

We’re so proud of what DA Price has accomplished in her short time in office. This fight is far from over and we know she will continue to stand with the people of Alameda County in working towards safe and just communities for all.”

###