In recent years, we have heard a lot about racism in law enforcement. Sometimes, those claims have turned out to be false. This one, however, is true: Heather Mac Donald shows that law enforcement in Oakland engages in vicious race discrimination under the leadership of District Attorney Pamela Price.
Mac Donald obtained a copy of a Power Point used to train social workers in Oakland’s Victim Services Division. They are supposed to be providing services to crime victims. However:
One PowerPoint panel lists the session’s “Key Takeaways.” Among them: “White people are not entitled to harm you”; “When interacting with white victims, speak up for yourself or for your coworkers”; and “If a white victim continues to harm you, ask that they be transferred.” The slide also asserts that “white victims are entitled to the same compassion and practices as all victims,” but the rest of the slide is at odds with that message. It’s unclear how white crime victims “harm” government employees. Another panel from the training asserts that “White Supremacy Culture” is characterized by “Perfectionism,” “Objectivity,” “Sense of Urgency” and “Individualism.”
So victims are treated differently, based on race. So are criminals:
An April 14, 2023, “special directive” from the district attorney’s office creates a presumption that prosecutors will foreswear higher sentences for particularly egregious crimes if those higher sentences would “result in disparate racial impact.” If a white person uses a gun during a crime, or if a white gang member commits a robbery, he might face an enhanced sentence based on that gun use or gang membership. If the defendant is black, however, he will be charged at the lowest possible level to avoid “disparate racial impact.”
As you would expect, crime has soared in Oakland, and the local NAACP chapter has publicly called for stronger enforcement of the laws. A recall campaign is now being mounted against District Attorney Price. Price is fighting back with demagoguery:
Ms. Price’s campaign invoked Donald Trump, who received less than 18% of the 2020 vote in Alameda County: “In a page out of the January 6th playbook, outside special interest groups, supported by the Republican party, are trying to seize control from local voters because they refuse to accept the results of a legitimate, democratic election.”
Let’s hope that citizens of Oakland–the victims of Price’s racist practices–are not fooled.
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