The crime situation in Los Angeles is continuing to deteriorate, and it continues to reflect poorly on Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.
The random stabbing death of Brianna Kupfer, a graduate student, at the furniture store where she worked is the most recent, high-profile incident of violence in Los Angeles. The suspected killer is Shawn Laval Smith, who has a criminal history stretching back to 2010, which includes run-ins with California police in San Mateo and Covina.
Before that, the robbery and murder of off-duty police officer Fernando Arroyos made waves. Arroyos was house-shopping with his girlfriend in Los Angeles when they were robbed at gunpoint. Arroyos was shot and killed after he resisted. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Office wisely bypassed Gascon and instead took the case to federal authorities, who charged three alleged gang members and an associate with homicide.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva was clear on why the federal authorities were given the case: Gascon doesn’t believe in sentencing enhancements for criminals who are in a gang or use guns in their crimes. With homicides, shootings, and violent crime all rising in Los Angeles, Gascon’s primary concern is making sure convicted murderers and gang members don’t have to stay in prison too long.
Oh, and then there is also the rail car looting. Rail carrier Union Pacific called out Gascon for the surge in looting, claiming that at least 90 rail car containers are broken into each day. Union Pacific claims that repeat criminals return to loot rail cars, and about $5 million in claims, losses, and damages have been reported to the company in the last year. The company is now considering having its trains avoid Los Angeles as much as possible.
Los Angeles saw 397 homicides in 2021, the most in the city since 2006. Although much of that total is tied to gang violence, Gascon downsized the city’s “Hardcore Gangs” unit. At every turn, Gascon has prioritized sympathy for criminals over accountability and justice. Sympathy for victims of crime is harder to come by. In December 2020, after being confronted by a woman whose son was murdered, Gascon criticized her for not having “enough education” to keep her mouth shut.
In normal circumstances, Gascon’s soft-on-criminals disposition would be considered immoral and a failure of his office. But with violent crime and homicides continuing to rise, it is also destructive and gradually making Los Angeles unlivable. His term is a failure, and residents of Los Angeles should reevaluate their criminal justice priorities the next time he is on the ballot.
