Los Angeles is becoming a dystopian nightmare. Much of the reason for that is Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.

Since taking office, his soft-on-crime approach–demonstrated perfectly by declining to bring felony charges against a man who attacked comedian Dave Chappelle with a knife–has been credited with making the city less safe.

Now, he’s facing a recall.

Yet, while chatting with other progressive prosecutors, Gascon lashed out at the recall and told everyone that things were really safer.

Four of the country’s top prosecutors who are facing scrutiny – and even recall efforts – over their progressive agendas pushed back on their opponents Tuesday while defending their policies, which critics have blamed for an uptick in violent crime in each of their respective jurisdictions.

The discussion on changing the criminal justice system was part of a virtual meeting moderated by Melina Abdullah, a civic leader and professor at California State University, Los Angeles. District attorneys Chesa Boudin of San Francisco, George Gascon of Los Angeles County and Larry Krasner of Philadelphia attended, as did Kim Foxx, the state attorney for Cook County, Illinois.

Boudin and Gascon are currently facing recall attempts. All four DAs have implemented efforts to reduce incarceration and directives that represent a change from the traditional tough-on-crime approach.

“We should never walk away from the fact that reform is actually good for safety and health in the community,” Gascon said. “We should be very proud of the fact that the path that we’re taking is avoiding, not only the systemic racism, but all the mistakes of the past.”

The refusal to prosecute someone who apparently tried to murder a comedian in Los Angeles doesn’t make anyone safer.

San Francisco is seeing stores close because of the rampant shoplifting. Foxx refused to prosecute either side in a gunfight citing “mutual combat.”

Please, someone, tell me how that’s making anyone safer?

Since Gascon took office, crime has absolutely soared. Sure, as Cam noted earlier today, he’s calling for more gun control, but can’t he see how turning cell doors into revolving doors?

These policies aren’t making anyone safer.

“But systemic racism!”

Shut the hell up. It’s far more racist to think that these policies are non-racist. Why? It implies that black people are the ones who are breaking the law and need to be protected from prosecution. That’s insane, yet here’s Gascon pushing precisely that line.

Oh, I get that he thinks he’s doing the right thing. The fact that he does, though, is why he’s being recalled. I pray that he’s removed from office before more people get seriously hurt or killed, because that’s precisely what’s happening.

Remember that Los Angeles saw the highest homicide rate in 15 years under Gascon’s “watchful” eye. If this were making people safer, I’d imagine the murder rate wouldn’t be quite so high, you know?

This is precisely the kind of stupid, though, that I expect from someone like Gascon.

While I agree we have too many people incarcerated in this country, his approach isn’t helping a damn thing.