The President of the National Black Police Association, Sgt. Sheldon Smith, is worried that the new criminal justice reforms initiated by new Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot will cause more crime.
“It opens the door for some people to think they can commit crimes,” Sgt. Smith said.
What’s got him so alarmed?
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot defended his recent decision to stop prosecuting certain quality-of-life crimes over the objections of members of the Dallas City Council’s Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee on Monday. The reforms, Creuzot said, are meant to make Dallas a safer, more equitable city, not to enable those who commit low-level offenses, as critics of the new policies have accused Creuzot of doing.
Following an April 11 memo issued by the district attorney, Creuzot’s office will no longer prosecute those busted for marijuana possession for the first time, those caught with just a trace amount of drugs or misdemeanor criminal trespass cases that do not involve someone trespassing on residential property. Most controversially, Creuzot also plans to decline prosecuting anyone caught stealing $750 or less worth of necessary personal items, like baby formula, diapers or food.
“What we are focusing on is not on processing cases, it’s on reducing recidivism and reducing cost and we’re doing so based on data and research,” Creuzot told the committee. “What we intend to do is to make a safer city.”
Everyone from Dallas’ police unions to state officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have criticized Creuzot for his changes, charging him with everything from giving criminals a license to steal to stereotyping the poor as criminals.
“Reform is one thing,” Abbott and Paxton said to Creuzot in an April 18 letter. “Actions that abandon the rule of law and that could promote lawlessness are altogether different.”
Governor Greg Abbott responds to the lawless policies of Creuzot:
Source: Dallas Observer
Another piece of democrat garbage elected to office. Again they must breed these idiots in a stupid factory. These people are a disgrace to their elected office.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has declared “Open Season” on thieves. If he will Not prosecute them, then property owners can legally execute them.