Editorial: Reject the recall of SF DA Boudin
ebar.comSan Francisco voters will be asked June 7 to decide whether to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was narrowly elected in 2019 and took office in January 2020, just a couple of months before the COVID pandemic upended everything, including the criminal justice system.
While we fully understand and empathize with residents and small business owners who are affected and angered by the perceived uptick in petty crime — smash-and-grab car break-ins, smashed storefront windows, and burglaries — it's unlikely that recalling Boudin will solve those problems.
We recommend a no vote on the recall measure, Proposition H. San Francisco police data indicate that burglaries and larceny theft were down in 2021 compared to 2019 (the pandemic resulted in a decrease in 2020), but people, especially victims, don't see it that way.
Throw in high-profile cases like the hit-and-run that killed two women on New Year's Eve 2020, by a man allegedly driving under the influence who has a lengthy criminal record and who was on parole after a plea deal that involved the DA's office, and the seeds of the recall were planted.In an online editorial board meeting with the Bay Area Reporter April 1, Boudin made the case for himself.
