“I will change when change is needed, so to that end, I am rescinding the policy,” Dallas County D.A. John Creuzot informed WFAA this weekend.
DALLAS — After pledging to rethink his controversial theft policy, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot fulfilled the promise and quietly rescinded it over the weekend.
“I want the people of Dallas County and our partner police agencies to know that I have heard their concerns, and I will change when change is needed, so to that end, I am rescinding the policy. My assistants and I will use our discretion to prosecute those who deserve it and utilize our strengthened Pre-Trial Intervention programs and other community resources to get vulnerable populations the help they need. The policy change is effective immediately,” Creuzot stated in an announcement to WFAA.
During his first time period, Creuzot instructed assistant district attorneys to not prosecute individuals for stealing objects like meals, diapers, or child formulation valued between $100 and $750 until these people tried to resell them.
Critics instantly pounced saying the district legal professional was letting criminals go free in the event that they stole something underneath $750.
But final month, throughout his re-election marketing campaign, Creuzot informed WFAA’s Inside Texas Politics that he would rethink the policy.
“Like anything else that’s neutral, but controversial, I think in the near future we’ll have to consider whether we’ll keep it,” the Democrat stated on the Sunday morning program, October ninth. “If we can’t show that it’s having any impact one way or the other, but people have a negative opinion about it, I think if I did that right now, I’d be accused of crass politicism or whatever. But I’m certainly open to it.”
RELATED: Dallas County DA will get 4 extra years
It was not public stress, Creuzot stated, however information that drove his resolution.
Prosecutors solely rejected 13 such instances out of greater than 1,000 final yr, he added.
“Through data analysis and conversations with community organizations, retailers, and independent loss prevention specialists, I found the policy had zero effect on crime in the county – positive or negative. I have come to the understanding that this policy is more aspirational than realistic and rather than helping those in need, I have watched that population, and primarily people of color, be blamed for a rise in crime,” Creuzot continued this weekend in his assertion to WFAA.
He simply received re-election to a second time period this month with nearly 60% of the vote.
story by Source link