City Council member near LA wants city to take-over prosecution of crimes the DA overlooks

A member of the Pico Rivera City Council near Los Angeles has called for the hiring of a city attorney to prosecute crimes the Los Angeles District Attorney, George Gascón, will not prosecute.

Andrew Lara has publicly spoken out against the DA’s policy not to prosecute certain misdemeanor crimes, including trespassing, disturbing the peace, and driving with no license. Gascón announced the changes in 2020 when he was sworn in as DA.

Lara does not believe the changes are effective, telling Fox News, “We just can’t sit idly behind and do nothing. If I can’t think of ways to protect my community in terms of crime, then what am I good for as an elected official?” He added, “One of the most fundamental things that I can do as an elected official is protect my neighbors.”

Lara has asked Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona to study whether it would be effective to hire a city attorney to take over prosecuting the misdemeanors Gascón declines to prosecute. “I’m not just going to sit idly behind and watch crime skyrocket, watch criminals come and take advantage of my neighbors and do nothing,” he said. 

According to the Whittier Daily News, another nearby city, Whittier, has also begun exploring the possibility of hiring a city attorney. The California Constitution allows cities to prosecute misdemeanor crimes, but the DA would still have to sign off on any such changes.