FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price facing a recall?

DA Price is facing a recall because a group of conservative donors, mostly right-wing hedge fund managers and corporate real estate developers, paid to gather the signatures required to put the recall on the ballot. They claim that DA Price is responsible for a rise in violent crime, when in reality, crime is going down under DA Price’s tenure.

The fact is, the recall effort against DA Price began virtually as soon as she took office. They didn’t even give her a chance to reform the DA’s office or put in place new policies to prevent violence - they started gathering signatures to recall DA Price almost immediately.

Really, crime rates are going down? That’s not what I’ve heard.

When DA Price first took office, crime rates were up nationwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now that Price has had time to implement new policies designed to prevent crime before it happens, crime rates are falling dramatically.

The Oakland Police department is reporting a 33% drop in crime compared to the same time last year: 53% fewer burgaries, 60% fewer car break-ins, 43% fewer commercial property break-ins and 20% fewer homicides. Throughout the county we are making progress. You can see those numbers for yourself on the OPD website or the police website for your city. 

How is DA Price preventing crime before it happens and helping to lower crime rates?

DA Price is prosecuting crimes at the same rate as every prior District Attorney, but she also knows that one of the best ways to make communities safer is preventing crime before it occurs. 

She has implemented programs to ensure that youth and people experiencing mental health crises are receiving appropriate services to reduce future crime. She created working groups on gun violence, human trafficking and retail theft and implemented targeted solutions identified by stakeholders.

This recall is basically a referendum on diversion and treatment programs, which are a critical part of reducing crime. Research shows that communities with these programs experience better outcomes than in areas where incarceration is the only approach to improving public safety. 

We need a DA, like DA Price, who is working to reduce racial bias in the criminal justice system and to make sure victims of crimes receive the support they deserve. All these important efforts are at stake in this recall. 

Didn’t DA Price fail to charge the suspects in the murders of Kevin Nishita, toddler Jasper Wu, and Blake Mohs?

That is not true, though that hasn’t stopped the recall campaign from making false claims. DA Price’s office has charged all the suspects in these cases with the legally appropriate enhancements. Under her leadership the charges that have been brought against people who committed violent crime have been consistent with charges brought by past DAs.  

What are DA Price’s qualifications for office?

District Attorney Pamela Price began her legal career as a criminal defense attorney at the Bayview Hunters’ Point Community Defenders’ office in San Francisco. As a community defender, she handled hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases.

Following her time at the Community Defender’s office and years of training working for small firms, Pamela started her own firm in 1991. Over the next 30 years, she became a nationally recognized civil rights attorney. Specializing in employment litigation, DA Price represented countless victims of retaliation, wrongful termination, sexual assaults, sex, age, religion, disability and race-based discrimination, as well as suing the California Department of Corrections on behalf of employees.

District Attorney Price is a graduate of Yale College and UC Berkeley Law School.

Wasn’t DA Price accused of extortion?

The person making those claims, Mario Juarez, is currently under indictment and investigation by the FBI. DA Pamela Price denies his claims. We do not believe Mario Juarez is a credible source of information.

What has DA Price accomplished in her two years in office?

In her first two years in office, DA Price has:

  • Charged over 7,610 cases, including 58 murders and 2,381 felonies;

  • Hired 98 people, including attorneys, staff and the most diverse class of victim-witness advocates ever;

  • Increased the number of advocates for victims by almost 35% and served over 6,000 victims;

  • Embraced high-tech tools to deliver fair justice faster for victims;

  • Increased prosecutorial support for the Oakland Police Department and assigned a seasoned deputy to advise them;

  • Promoted 7 diverse veteran in-house crime investigators; 

  • Corrected the misclassification of numerous employees; 

  • Trained attorneys on the Racial Justice Act;

  • Submitted a $95 million dollar budget which the Board of Supervisors approved; 

  • Expanded the felony trial team;

  • Expanded mental health courts;

  • Investigated and prosecuted police and prosecutorial misconduct;

  • Established a community-based Mental Health Commission;

  • Established a community-based Re-entry Commission;

  • Created Community Support Bureau, and;

  • Created a Public Accountability Bureau.