{"id":449787,"date":"2021-04-24T15:20:38","date_gmt":"2021-04-24T19:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=449787"},"modified":"2021-04-24T15:20:42","modified_gmt":"2021-04-24T19:20:42","slug":"l-a-county-d-a-gascon-dismantles-hardcore-gang-unit-for-new-public-health-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/l-a-county-d-a-gascon-dismantles-hardcore-gang-unit-for-new-public-health-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n Dismantles Hardcore Gang Unit For New \u2018Public Health Approach\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fl-a-county-d-a-gascon-dismantles-hardcore-gang-unit-for-new-public-health-approach%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=449787&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-3618.jpeg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p>Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc\u00f3n confirmed this week that the office\u2019s Hardcore Gang Division would be downsized, reorganized, and renamed as part of a new approach to improve public safety.<\/p>\n<p>According to Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s office, the new Community Violence Reduction Division will be made up of experienced prosecutors who will collaborate with activist groups, gang intervention workers, and the Los Angeles Police Department \u201cin some of the most challenged areas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy embedding our prosecutors in the communities that we serve, we will be able to get better results reducing and preventing crime by working with all of our community, county, and law enforcement partners,\u201d said Gasc\u00f3n. \u201cThis community-first model will eventually be used throughout Los Angeles County to ensure our approach is reflective of the particular needs of individual communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Deputy district attorneys will be assigned to three LAPD stations (77<sup>th<\/sup> Street, Foothill, and Newton) to investigate and prosecute \u201cthe most troubling incidents of street violence,\u201d a news release from Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s office said. A memo from Gasc\u00f3n called these areas \u201cviolence prone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The unit previously known as the Hardcore Gang Division \u201calso will seek to proactively prevent crime by working with community-based organizations and with county partners that deal with victim services, public health and violence prevention,\u201d the D.A. office said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal of these efforts is to treat community violence through a collaborative public health approach,\u201d said Gasc\u00f3n. \u201cWe hope to end the cycle of generational violence and prevent victims from being repeatedly traumatized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officials told the Los Angeles Times that the restructured division would be reduced in size, from 40 prosecutors down to 26. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2021-04-22\/gascons-downsizing-of-gang-unit-draws-criticism-confusion\">The Times notes<\/a>, \u201cNews of the changes to the unit have infuriated some veteran prosecutors, who say the shift was poorly thought out and poorly timed as homicides and gang violence are on the rise in Los Angeles.\u201d According to the outlet, \u201cAt least 60 of the 105 homicides that had taken place in Los Angeles as of April 20 were believed to be connected to gang activity, police officials have said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eric Siddall, vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys in Los Angeles County and former Hardcore Gang Division prosecutor, claims \u201cthere is no coherent plan about how to deal with gang violence in our county now.\u201d He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2021-04-22\/gascons-downsizing-of-gang-unit-draws-criticism-confusion\">said<\/a> the unit has 700 active cases that will only increase as gang-related murders continue to surge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Gasc\u00f3n) is engaged in a major social experiment, and unfortunately, we are the lab rats that he\u2019s using to help further his ideological agenda,\u201d Siddall told KFI\u2019s John and Ken Show on Friday. \u201cHe\u2019s dismantling (the Hardcore Gang Division) because he\u2019s beholden to some fringe groups who don\u2019t believe in the criminal justice system. He said he was going to turn the criminal justice system upside down, and that\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pasadenanow.com\/main\/da-announces-reorganization-renaming-of-hardcore-gang-division\/\">According<\/a> to City News Service, \u201cThe district attorney has also established a community violence prosecution coordinator program that will serve each of the county\u2019s branch courts and central trial offices, in which prosecutors assigned to the program will evaluate, file and try violent crimes that are not handled by the Community Violence Reduction Division.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The L.A. Times reports:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"26.632911392405\">\n<p><em>The changes are part of Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s broader mission to reduce reliance on incarceration and seek outcomes that favor rehabilitation over punishment. In announcing a policy\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2020-12-07\/in-first-day-on-job-gascon-remakes-bail-sentencing-rules\">barring prosecutors from using sentencing enhancements<\/a>\u00a0in nearly all cases last year, Gasc\u00f3n cited gang enhancements as among the most problematic, often filed against defendants accused of crimes that have nothing to do with their alleged gang status.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Gasc\u00f3n believes gang cases are prosecuted more aggressively than others and said he believes changing the unit\u2019s mission, and name, might help repair fractured trust between law enforcement and communities in L.A. County that often complain of being overpoliced.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe model of Hardcore Gang \u2026 you create a model that, first of all, even the name itself, it\u2019s sort of this connotation of us against them. Bad guys, good guys,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s increasingly a disconnect with the communities that we serve.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Defense attorneys have long criticized the unit as a magnet for ambitious prosecutors who wanted to rack up convictions and seek promotion within the office.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>FOX 11 News first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxla.com\/news\/gascon-planning-to-dissolve-or-severely-downsize-la-county-hardcore-gang-unit-sources-say\">reported<\/a> that Gasc\u00f3n was planning to dismantle the Hardcore Gang Division last month.<\/p>\n<p>L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who supports an effort to recall Gasc\u00f3n from office, blasted the D.A. after that report.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile gang members are busy driving up LA County\u2019s homicide rate, LA DA @GeorgeGascon is now dismantling the Hardcore Gang Unit that works in collaboration with local law enforcement,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LACoSheriff\/status\/1377451830121144321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1377451830121144321%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fl-a-county-d-a-gascon-downsizes-hardcore-gang-and-major-narcotics-units-report\">tweeted<\/a> Sheriff Villanueva on March 31. \u201cThis can only serve to add gasoline to a raging fire of gang violence that threatens the safety of all. This is not reform, it\u2019s beginning to look more and more like a suicide pact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Villanueva recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/la-sheriff-says-he-has-no-relationship-district-attorney-policies-not-working\">told<\/a> FOX 11 that he has only spoken to Gasc\u00f3n once since the D.A. took office in December. Dressed in street clothes, Villanueva appeared at a \u201cvictims vigil\u201d in late February organized by victims rights advocates who launched the drive to oust Gasc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n<p>As The Daily Wire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/los-angeles-county-sheriff-supports-recall-effort-against-d-a-gascon\">previously reported<\/a>, \u201cVictims of Violent Crime for the Recall of District Attorney Gascon\u201d is chaired by former L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine, who, like Gasc\u00f3n, previously worked for LAPD. Zine co-hosted a short-lived L.A. radio show in 2015 with Randy Economy, senior advisor to the ongoing campaign to recall California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.<\/p>\n<p>The Gasc\u00f3n recall group\u2019s honorary chairs are former L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a Republican, and Tania Owen, the widow of L.A. County Sheriff\u2019s Sgt. Steve Owen, who was fatally shot execution-style in 2016 while in the line of duty.<\/p>\n<p>Gasc\u00f3n has said that he views himself as part of a progressive movement that has prioritized implementing sweeping reforms across the nation. L.A. County is the largest criminal justice jurisdiction in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/l-a-county-d-a-gascon-downsizes-hardcore-gang-and-major-narcotics-units-report\">L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n Downsizes \u2018Hardcore Gang\u2019 and \u2018Major Narcotics\u2019 Units: Report<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/l-a-county-d-a-gascon-calls-out-conservative-media-and-tough-on-crime-types-amid-recall-threat\">L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n Calls Out \u2018Conservative Media\u2019 and \u2018Tough-On-Crime Types\u2019 Amid Recall Threat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/blm-leader-assures-l-a-county-d-a-gascon-we-have-your-back\">BLM Leader Assures L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n: \u2018We Have Your Back\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc\u00f3n confirmed this week that the office\u2019s Hardcore Gang Division would be downsized, reorganized, and renamed as part of a new approach to improve &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2276645,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-3618.jpeg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n Dismantles Hardcore Gang Unit For New \u2018Public Health Approach\u2019","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-449787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-3618.jpeg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"L.A. County D.A. Gasc\u00f3n Dismantles Hardcore Gang Unit For New \u2018Public Health Approach\u2019","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=449787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2276645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=449787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=449787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=449787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}