In 2019, George Gascón resigned from his position as San Francisco DA, moved to Los Angeles and ran for DA as a reformer against incumbent Jackie Lacey. Gascón had gone from a traditional “tough on crime” beat officer to Police Chief to reformer DA. He had seen firsthand how the traditional approach did not work—that mass incarceration was not only expensive, but it failed to protect the community.
However, since winning the race in 2020, he has faced opposition from police and holdover DAs and other conservative interests. At the time of recording this podcast, it was unclear whether the recall would qualify for the November ballot—but regardless, the expectation is that the opposition will continue.
Listen as George Gascón talks about his journey from police officer to reform DA and what he believes he has accomplished so far and what needs to happen in the system.
