As a prosecutor and member of this community, there is nothing that troubles me more than violent crime. Since my election, I have emphasized accountability for those who commit violence, reorganizing the structure and staff to permit attorneys to devote more time to these critically important cases. These efforts, however, only deliver accountability after someone has already been harmed, family members have been lost, and lives have been shattered. Addressing these crimes after the fact isn’t enough. We need to prevent violence from happening in the first place. Until we do that, we will keep having to tell families we are sorry for their loss. I want to tell families we did everything in our power to stop the violence in the first place. Right now, I can’t do that.
