Court officials say early results of the 2-week-old policy are encouraging, but law enforcement critics insist it will compromise public safety.
Pedestrians make their way past the Los Angeles County Superior Court Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Los Angeles County Superior Court officials are closely watching the rollout of zero-bail to track whether the controversial policy is properly balancing equity for the accused with the need to uphold public safety.
Proponents say the county’s elimination of cash bail will alleviate instances where someone is held, potentially for days, solely because of their financial ability. The policy might alleviate jail overcrowding, but the trade-off is more criminals on the street, he said. “The new policy isn’t a radical change, it builds off of similar policies that were in place in Los Angeles during the pandemic over the last three years,” said Claire Simonich, associate director of Vera California, an advocacy group fighting over-criminalization and mass incarceration. “If you look at other jurisdictions, we have every reason to believe this is not going to result in an increase in rearrests.”for misdemeanors and a 2.4% decrease in felonies.
“I can’t be the only one that’s having my office inundated with calls, and, when I’m out publicly, I have people approaching me very concerned about this,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said during the board’s Sept. 26 meeting.“If your child was poisoned by fentanyl and you found that someone was caught selling it in your neighborhood, and they’re released a few hours later without bail, you might question if the system is fair or not,” he said.
Though crime ticked up overall in Los Angeles from 2021 to 2023, it has largely stayed flat, or decreased, in the past year. As of Sept. 30, the LAPDa 6.8% decrease in violent crime and a 1.6% increase in property crime compared to the same period last year. The Sheriff’s Department, meanwhile, as of Aug. 30, saw a similar 6% decrease in violent crime and roughly 1% decrease in property crime year to date.
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