Fresno City Council Member Luiz Chavez says 600 criminals have been released back into the city since April.
“We’re in the middle of a crime wave, and that is not a term that I use loosely because that’s how it’s being described here in our city. And we need to really step up and prioritize public safety,” said Chavez during Thursday’s city council meeting. Chavez says many merchants on the Kings Canyon/Ventura corridor have been targeted.
Chavez blames the state for criminal justice reform promises he says haven’t been kept. Council Member Garry Bredefeld also blamed the state by pointing to $0 bail releases during COVID-19.
The discussion was sparked after Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall posted a social media message Wednesday night after two Louisville, Kentucky police officers were shot during a protest over the killing of Breonna Taylor. The state’s attorney general announced Wednesday that the actions of police that let to the shooting death of Taylor during a raid on her apartment were justified.
