A New Direction For Contra Costa
Mary Knox and Katey Bonderud
Patt Mayer and Katey Bonderud with Debora Allen
Mary Knox and Debora Allen highlighted the Meet & Greet yesterday at the Concord Centre in Concord organized by member Katey Bonderud. Knox, a district attorney for 37 years, is a candidate for Contra Costa District Attorney while Allen is running for supervisor in District 4 which includes Concord and Pleasant Hill.
In addressing the group, Knox said that under the current District Attorney Diane Becton’s policies, “people are allowed to steal $300 three times a year” without prosecution. Both candidates are running as Democrats without opposition so the winner of the June 7 primary election will become the next district attorney.
Knox also pointed out that Becton decided that after the 2020 riots and looting in Walnut Creek, which did some $55 million in damages to 61 stores, that those arrested were to be charged with “commercial burglary” not “looting”. As a result all were released with no bail. With catch and release there is no accountability. Knox also noted that in recent years looting in the county and regionally has progressed to organized retail theft by gangs. “Fences order gangs to steal and then the merchandize packaged and resold on website such as Amazon” she explained. Because of looting in the county, Neiman Marcus closed in Walnut Creek and Frye’s closed in Concord.
“We need to enforce our laws, to hold criminals accountable and act with ethics and integrity,” she said.
Allen, an Independent who currently serves on the BART Board, said she believes budgeting is the way to make policy changes. Her priorities are oversight of the county’s annual $4.9 billion budget as well as transparency on how the money spent. For instance a group now wants the county to pay for the defense of illegal aliens in the criminal justice system, said Allen who has a strong background in finance as well as construction.
Rising crime and homelessness as well as advancing economic opportunities in the county also are Allen’s concerns. “We also need to modernize our systems and policies,” she explained.