California Gov. Gavin Newsom will use the California National Guard to help prosecute accused criminals in Oakland and elsewhere in Alameda County, aid the governor says is needed after he claimed District Attorney Pamela Price dragged her feet on accepting an earlier offer of assistance to address spiraling lawlessness in the crime and violence plagued city.
Last week, Newsom's office announced they had produced an agreement with Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Department of Justice to dispatch attorneys with the California National Guard to prosecute criminal cases in Alameda County.
The governor said the agreement was modeled after a similar "successful partnership" with San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, which the governor's office said has "helped boost felony narcotics convictions in San Francisco."
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price
| Alcoda.org/
Jenkins was appointed DA in San Francisco by Mayor London Breed in 2023 after voters recalled former DA Chesa Boudin, a left-wing prosecutor perceived as overly deferential to criminals and hostile to police in the name of fighting racism. Voters appeared to hold Boudin largely responsible for surging violent and property crime in San Francisco.
Crime in San Francisco has remained a problem, however, and this year, Jenkins faces an election challenge from another left-wing prosecutor, Ryan Kohjasteh, who currently works in the Alameda County DA's office and is considered a political ally of Price.
As crime continues to vex Bay Area cities, Newsom said more help is needed to prosecute accused criminals and restore order.
While Jenkins' office quickly worked out an agreement with Newsom to allow CalGuard attorneys to work in her office and increase prosecutions, Newsom claims Price has quietly resisted a similar arrangement in Alameda County.
Price has denied those claims, according to published reports, saying any differences with the governor over the deployment of CalGuard prosecutors in Alameda County were likely the result of "miscommunication."
Price has publicly indicated no resistance to the idea, and had signaled she would welcome the help.
However, Newsom rescinded the offer to Price, allegedly after "a nearly five-month attempt to formalize a similar agreement offere" to Price's office. Newsom had originally extended the offer to Price in February.
Newsom said he then went around Price to Bonta's office and worked out an agreement in two weeks to deploy the CalGuard prosecutors in Oakland. According to Newsom's office, the CalGuard prosecutors will collaborate "to tackle violent and organized crime in Alameda County."
Crime in Alameda County has become a flashpoint in a state infamous for surging crime rates amid policies that are perceived to be soft on criminals in the name of appeasing progressive activists.
Both Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao face recall votes this fall from voters concerned about crime. While crime rates fell in most other large California cities in 2023, coming off their highs during 2020's surge fueled by Covid and riots, criminal activity did not decline in Oakland.
The governor said the CalGuard prosecutor deployment has accompanied a surge of state police resources in Alameda County, as well, reportedly in collaboration with local police agencies to address the persistent crime problems. Newsom had earlier announced he would quadruple the number of shifts California Highway Patrol officers would conduct in Oakland and ramp up further over the next four months.
“Today we’re advancing accountability and justice for East Bay communities, by quickly securing an agreement to provide additional resources to prosecute criminal behavior," Newsom said in a statement. "I am grateful for the quick work here by the Attorney General and the California National Guard to swiftly finalize this agreement so these talented attorneys can soon help secure justice for the people of the Bay Area.”
Bonta added: "The East Bay is my home and I am committed to ensuring that Oakland is a safe place for all families to work, live, and grow. The California Department of Justice is committing our legal and law enforcement expertise to this collaborative public safety effort, and we look forward to working with our CalGuard partners as we tackle complex, multijurisdictional cases and keep our communities safe.”