In an effort to impose tougher penalties on repeat felony offenders, top law enforcement officials in Southern California announced a new initiative Wednesday to target and prosecute more suspects under federal guidelines.
Dubbed “Operation Safe Cities,” the initiative was born out of frustration with violent criminals carrying out brazen robberies using firearms — and seeks to build on existing partnerships to secure additional resources and more easily report related crimes to federal authorities who have access. To more stringent penal laws. .
“This effort aims to ensure that the most violent people on the streets are prosecuted and spend the time they need in prison,” Los Angeles Police Department Interim Chief Dominic Choi said during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.
The goal is to train local police investigators to prepare cases that can be brought to the federal level, officials said. Representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Ventura County Sheriff's Office will review potential cases with their counterparts at the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
“We see individuals using weapons to commit extortion, individuals using weapons to commit kidnappings and assaults,” Estrada said during the press conference. “This increase in violent gun crime is unacceptable.”
The pressure to make broader use of the federal judicial system will likely shun domestic and state prosecutors. Estrada said he has had conversations about Operation Safe Streets with Ventura County. Atty. Eric Nasarenko and Los Angeles County. Atty. George Gascón.
“We feel we have the right to use the powerful sentencing tools we have to address this matter,” Estrada said. “We are collaborating on this and working with our state [and] Local partners to make this a success.”
Neither Gascón — whose policies have been condemned by critics as overly lenient — nor Nasarenko were among the cadre of senior criminal justice officials who attended Wednesday's news conference. But in a statement, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office praised the initiative and welcomed “the introduction of additional effective tools and resources in the fight against violent crime.”
The statement continued, “Operation Safe Cities complements our broader strategy to ensure that perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions.” “We look forward to continuing our work alongside our federal partners to ensure every available resource and strategy is used to make Los Angeles County a safer place for everyone.”
As for whether this initiative would prevent the Attorney General from taking this type of case, Gascón “rejects any assertion that this is an attempt to circumvent his jurisdiction or frustrate his discretion,” his office added in a separate statement.
Estrada said authorities will be careful to ensure that the focus on tougher penalties for convicted individuals will not replicate the mass incarceration of black and colored populations seen during previous “tough on crime” initiatives.
“We take a measured approach to who we prosecute and the cases we prosecute,” he said.
In 2022, 32% of those sentenced to state or federal prisons were Black, while 31% were white and 23% were Latino, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. The most recent U.S. Census data shows that residents who identify as African American or African American alone make up just over 13% of the U.S. population, while those who identify as Hispanic or Latino make up 19% .
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement agencies across the country have faced a spike in violent crime. In California in 2020, gun homicides increased 40.6%, and gun assaults rose 29% from the previous year, according to a Times analysis of Justice Department data.
This trend continued in 2021, with each category of crime increasing by 8% before declining by the same amount in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available. But the rate for 2022 remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic numbers. Weapons were used in 71.2% of homicides and 21.8% of assaults in 2022, compared to 68% and 16.9%, respectively, in 2019.
In Los Angeles, Los Angeles police data showed a double-digit drop in violent crimes last year compared to 2022. Murders and shootings in 2023 were down 17% and 10%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Overall, the homicide rate was down 16%, and there were 127 fewer people killed by shootings than the previous year. But the total number of gunshot victims in 2023, 1,206, is still 260 more people than in 2019, according to the LAPD.
However, authorities say they hope Operation Safe Cities will provide law enforcement agencies with more tools to prosecute criminals.
Officers from specialized divisions within the LAPD have worked with federal partners before, but more desk investigators will be able to review those crimes that could become federal cases, Choi said.
“These interagency partnerships multiply the power in preventing crime and achieving justice for victims,” said Ted Dukes, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Criminal Division, citing existing collaborative efforts focused on gang violence, drugs and bank robbery.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna noted an investigation into two people suspected of robbing more than 20 Trader Joe's stores across multiple counties in California in 2020. Law enforcement agencies worked together to arrest the suspects, and one was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. . After his trial in federal court.
But law enforcement is only one piece of the puzzle. The authorities also rely on vigilant residents and willing witnesses to combat violent crimes.
“We realize we're not doing this alone. We can't do it alone. Addressing violent crime is not just a law enforcement issue,” Luna said.
Times staff writers Sonia Sharp, Libor Gagne and Terry Castleman contributed to this report.
