Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has ramped up efforts at the border and has declared that criminals will now “face full accountability for their actions.”
The Republican Hochman recently defeated the progressive incumbent George Gascon by a significant margin of 20 points.
Many voters believed Gascon had made the situation regarding crime more lenient.
“I stand where the borders of LA and San Bernardino counties meet, where criminals previously had free rein to cross into LA,” Hochman stated in a video shared on his X account. “If they decide to engage in theft or any criminal activities, I don’t think they will find the same freedom anymore.”
“Things have changed! The fun is over. A new DA is in charge, and LA County criminals will now be prosecuted and held fully accountable,” he added.
As a former federal prosecutor and lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Hochman campaigned from a position he called the “hard middle,” opposing both Gascon’s liberal approaches and the failures in public safety.
He previously served as the president of the Los Angeles City Ethics Committee and criticized Gascon’s leadership as “devastating incompetence,” promising to restore order and reason to the office.
Gascon faced two recall attempts during his time in office, indicating growing voter concerns over his policies.
He was also a co-author of Proposal 47, a measure approved by voters in 2014 that lessened penalties for many thefts to misdemeanors if the stolen amount was under $950 and reclassified some felony drug offenses.
Hochman believes public safety transcends political lines. “I’ve talked with very liberal individuals, independents, and conservative Republicans. Regardless of their initial views, there’s a shared agreement that the district attorney should focus on their safety and hold criminals responsible for their conduct,” he remarked.
