Ryan Khojasteh is running for District Attorney because we need a new approach to public safety. The Mayor’s handpicked District Attorney has made public safety a battleground for political gain — but Ryan knows that when we put the tired political battles aside and focus on the evidence-based solutions, we will start making real progress toward a safer San Francisco.
As a Deputy District Attorney, Ryan understands what works.
Instead of pointing fingers at other agencies, Ryan will bring law enforcement and violence prevention teams together to implement the evidence-based solutions that will protect us and create lasting public safety.
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Ryan will also call for a “Public Safety Summit” to bring together city leadership, department heads, police and probation, the school district, merchant associations and community organizations to get serious on public safety. We must seek solutions, not scapegoats. Ryan will commit to working collaboratively to champion policies and practices to get people housed, stabilized and into educational or workforce development opportunities. We know this reduces crime and makes us safer in both the short term and long term.
San Francisco is currently facing an unprecedented backlog of cases — Ryan will focus our limited courtroom resources on vigorously prosecuting violent and repeat offenders.
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There’s a reason over two thousand cases have been dismissed by judges under the current DA’s administration. Playing politics with prosecution means 1) recklessly increasing caseloads that prosecutors can’t handle; 2) clogging up the courts so that serious cases aren’t prioritized; and 3) allowing repeat and violent offenders to walk free. This is the legacy being left behind by the Mayor’s handpicked DA, an irresponsible political administration that isn’t getting the job done.
Ryan started his career working to get hundreds of kids back on track at San Francisco Juvenile Hall, so he understands that the extra effort to get people on the right track pays massive dividends for safety.
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Much of Ryan’s career has been devoted to working to get kids back on track at San Francisco Juvenile Hall – and he will bring back the juvenile justice programs that worked.
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Instead of keeping these programs, the current DA: 1) slashed the victim-centered Make it Right program that reduced recidivism among children by at least 44%; 2) brought back the outdated practice of prosecuting kids as adults – which makes them four times as likely to be incarcerated in adulthood; 3) stopped collaborating with service providers and community organizations to get kids back on track; and 4) reduced referrals to the Unaccompanied Children’s Assistance Program that got unaccompanied minors the support they needed to lead productive and successful lives. Ryan will bring back these proven solutions to stop the school-to-prison pipeline and make us safer.
The Mayor’s handpicked DA has built a political career on pretending that arresting drug users, not drug dealers, will solve our city’s problems – an irresponsible and wasteful use of limited courtroom resources.
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As a prosecutor, Ryan has worked extensively with Collaborative Courts to get people the help they need. These programs, like Drug Court to address substance use disorder, have been proven to drastically reduce recidivism and get people back on track. The Mayor’s handpicked DA has essentially halted referrals to our Collaborative and Drug Courts – preventing people from getting the treatment they desperately need, making things worse for our city.
Working closely with victims and survivors of crime should be a central focus and priority of the District Attorney’s Office.
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Ryan will also work tirelessly to build trust among law enforcement and community members by holding public safety workshops throughout our neighborhoods. Collaborating with the police and community groups, these workshops will teach residents what to do if they are ever victimized by crime or a witness to a crime. Criminal justice education is important to mitigate any intimidation or fear victims or witnesses may feel getting involved with this system. Lastly, Ryan is committed to upholding our sanctuary city status – recognizing that we are all safer when immigrant communities feel comfortable to report crimes and cooperate with law enforcement without risk of adverse consequences to them and their families.
Having worked closely with our police officers as a prosecutor and community liaison in the DA’s office, Ryan knows that to improve public safety we need a well-trained, fully-staffed department that knows the communities they serve.
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Ryan knows that better policing looks like: 1) equipping our police officers with modern and culturally-relevant training; 2) bringing back community policing, neighborhood prosecution and foot patrols; 3) reducing the non-violent calls and paperwork that drive inefficiency; 4) holding those who use excessive force or abuse their power accountable; and 5) prioritizing getting rape kits tested.
Nobody is above the law. The District Attorney’s Office has a responsibility to prosecute any and all criminal conduct – including from law enforcement officials, government leaders and corporations.
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The job of the DA is to keep us safe, address violence and find solutions – not appeal to a political base and wealthy donors. Ryan would never run an office that prioritizes political ideology over public safety.
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The DA has also rewarded friends and political allies with high salaried government positions, creating a top-heavy management system at the expense of real prosecutors in court. Many of these allies have fancy titles yet nobody in the office knows what they actually do. Ryan will re-center the focus of the office on courtroom lawyers – expanding personnel in impacted units like General Felonies – so that the office can competently and successfully prosecute cases while reducing overwhelming caseloads among staff.
Paid for by Ryan Khojasteh for SF District Attorney 2024.
Financial disclosures are available at SFEthics.org
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