In a bid to impose harsher penalties on repeat offenders, top law enforcement officials in Southern California announced Wednesday a new initiative to pursue and prosecute more suspects according to federal guidelines.
The initiative, called Operation Safe Cities, was born out of frustration with violent criminals carrying out brazen gun robberies, and seeks to leverage existing partnerships to secure additional resources and more easily flag relevant crimes to federal authorities who have access to stricter sentencing statutes. .
“This effort is to ensure that the most violent people who are on the streets are prosecuted and get the prison time they need,” Los Angeles Police Department Acting Chief Dominic Choi said during a news conference at the Center of Los Angeles.
The goal, officials said, is to train local police detectives to prepare cases that could be elevated to the federal level. Representatives from the LAPD, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office will review potential cases with their counterparts from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. .
“We see individuals using weapons to commit extortion and individuals using weapons to commit kidnappings and assaults,” Estrada said during the press conference. “This increase in violent gun crime is unacceptable.”
Pressure to more broadly leverage the federal court system would likely bypass state and local prosecutors. Estrada said he has had conversations about Operation Safe Streets with the Ventura County District. Lawyer. Erik Nasarenko and the Los Angeles County District. Lawyer. Jorge Gascón.
“We believe it is incumbent on us to use the powerful sentencing tools we have to address this,” Estrada said. “We are collaborating on this and we are working with our state [and] local partners to make this a success.”
Neither Gascón – whose policies critics have condemned as too lenient – nor Nasarenko were among the group of senior criminal justice officials who attended Wednesday's news conference. But in a statement, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office applauded the initiative and welcomed “the introduction of additional effective tools and resources to combat violent crime.”
“Operation Safe Cities complements our broader strategy of ensuring that violent perpetrators face accountability for their actions,” the statement continued. “We look forward to continuing our work alongside our federal partners to ensure that all available resources and strategies are used to make Los Angeles County a safer place for everyone.”
As to whether this initiative would prevent the prosecutor from taking on these types of cases, Gascón “rejects any assertion that this is an attempt to evade his jurisdiction or thwart his discretion,” his office added in a separate statement.
Authorities will be tasked with ensuring that the emphasis on stricter penalties for convicted people does not repeat the mass incarceration of Black and Brown residents seen during previous “tough on crime” initiatives, Estrada said.
“We take a thoughtful approach to who we prosecute and the cases we prosecute,” he said.
In 2022, 32% of those sentenced to state or federal prison were black, while 31% were white and 23% were Hispanic, according to data from the US Bureau of Justice Statistics. The most recent census data of the US population, while those who identify as Hispanic or Latino represent 19%.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement agencies across the country faced a significant increase in violent crime. In California in 2020, gun homicides increased 40.6% and gun assaults increased 29% from the previous year, according to a Times analysis of Justice Department data.
The trend continued in 2021, with each crime category rising 8% before falling by about the same amount in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available. But the rate for 2022 is still notably higher than pre-pandemic numbers. Firearms were used in 71.2% of homicides and 21.8% of assaults in 2022, compared to 68% and 16.9%, respectively, in 2019.
In Los Angeles, LAPD data showed a double-digit drop in violent crime last year compared to 2022. Murders and shootings in 2023 decreased 17% and 10%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Overall, the homicide rate fell 16% and there were 127 fewer gunshot victims than the previous year. But the total number of shooting victims in 2023, 1,206, was still 260 more than in 2019, according to the LAPD.
Still, authorities say they hope Operation Safe Cities will give law enforcement agencies more tools to prosecute criminals.
Officers from specialized divisions within the LAPD have worked with federal partners before, but more desk detectives will be able to review those crimes that could become federal cases, Choi said.
“These interagency partnerships are force multipliers in preventing crime and finding justice for victims,” said Ted Docks, FBI special agent in charge of the criminal division in Los Angeles, citing existing collaborative efforts focused on crime violence. gangs, narcotics and bank robberies.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna mentioned an investigation into a pair of people suspected of robbing more than 20 Trader Joe's in several California counties in 2020. Law enforcement agencies worked together to apprehend the suspects, and one was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. him after being tried in federal court.
But law enforcement is only one piece of the puzzle. Authorities also depend on vigilant residents and willing witnesses to combat violent crime.
“We recognize that we do not do this alone. We cannot succeed alone. Addressing violent crime is not just a law enforcement issue,” Luna said.
Times staff writers Sonja Sharp, Libor Jany and Terry Castleman contributed to this report.
