Joe Alioto Veronese
- Office: District Attorney
- Election Date: November 8, 2022
- Candidate: Joe Alioto Veronese
- Due Date: Friday, August 19, 2022
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the 2022 District Attorney election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common sense solutions and effective government.
The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco and have the expertise to enact meaningful policy changes.
We ask that you please complete this questionnaire by Friday, August 19, 2022 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
Vision
GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous San Francisco. We work to propose and pass laws that align incentives of private businesses and individuals to promote shared prosperity for every San Franciscan.
This section of our questionnaire seeks to help us gain an understanding of your alignment with our vision for San Francisco. Note that some of the questions may be outside the scope of the office you're running for.
Short-form questions
Please mark the box that best aligns with your position. You may explain any position if you so desire, but this section is designed to be a quick overview of your governing philosophy and view of the city's problems.
Victims' rights
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy for a victim of crime to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| File a police report | x | ||
| Recover a stolen item like a bike or laptop computer | x | ||
| File a domestic violence or rape report | x | ||
| File a burglary report | x | ||
| Receive the support they need | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Police
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy for the police to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrest drug dealers | x | ||
| Arrest domestic violence offenders or rapists | x | ||
| Break up & arrest organized theft rings | x | ||
| Identify and arrest suspects | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
The DA's office
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy for the DA's office to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charge & prosecute known drug dealers | x | ||
| Charge & prosecute rapists | x | ||
| Charge & prosecute domestic violence offenders | x | ||
| Charge & prosecute organized theft rings | x | ||
| Charge & prosecute hate crimes | x | ||
| Hold police accountable, both for performance and misconduct | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Budget
| Do you think San Francisco spends too little, too much, or just enough on… | Too little | Just enough | Enough, but badly | Too much |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police and public safety | x | |||
| The DA's office | x | |||
| The Public Defender's office | x | |||
| Homeless services | x | |||
| Drug prevention and treatment | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
What are the top three issues facing San Francisco, and what would you like to see change?
1. Public Safety - San Francisco used to be a City where people felt safe. Anyone could walk on any San Francisco street — day or night —without being afraid for their safety. Reestablishing a safe and peaceful city is my #1 goal. I believe we can accomplish this with the respectful cooperation of the Police Department, and I will include input from social programs such as the Street Crisis Response Teams and Community Ambassadors on a regular basis.
2. Criminal Justice Reform - The criminal system has historically been used as a tool of oppression against people of color, poor people and immigrants. I will take immediate steps to engage experts who will address the reforms we need to reverse structural problems that are built into the criminal justice system. This will not be easy because they are entrenched.
3. Mental Health and addiction. We need to consider the effects of mental illness and addiction on criminal justice policy. We need a full assessment of its impact on police contact with citizens. We need to hold other city agencies to task for their insufficient response to mental health and addiction.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.
Non-profit oversight. The Mayor and the Board of Supervisors structured a system of non-profits tasked with solving major issues facing the City. The non-profit complex encompassing public safety, homelessness, addiction, and mental health is a billion-dollar industry in San Francisco. The lack of oversight and management of its metrics are major problems that must be addressed. There is little incentive for these non-profits to solve the problems they are funded to solve. I would work with the governing bodies to ensure that the city is delivering proper oversight and that the people of San Francisco are receiving the benefits of the intended grants.
Additionally, as an early supporter of Sunshine — the current Sunshine Ordinance was conceived and drafted at the Alioto law offices — I would like to see the DA act in full cooperation with Sunshine requests and engage in a more transparent process when it comes to the choices the DA makes daily. Exceptions must, of course, be made to protect witnesses as well as the accused and to protect enforcement actions.
Long-form questions
This section is optional.
We know your time is short, so please feel free to respond to the questions below which you think are most relevant to the position you're running for (but you are, of course, welcome to answer all of them). It is not necessary to answer these questions to secure our endorsement, but more context always helps us make better decisions.
The DA's office
What are the top issues facing San Francisco, and what do you intend to do to solve them?
Violent crime is the top issue facing the DA. We need a District Attorney who will prioritize getting violent and repeat offenders off the streets and out of our neighborhoods. The people of San Francisco deserve a criminal justice system that represents their values and will keep them safe. Some of the other great challenges include police accountability, budgeting for the DA's office, outdated facilities and processes — including our jail system, as well as the effect addiction and mental health have on criminal behavior.
What is your position on first time non-violent drug dealing offenses?
This is where the criminal justice system needs serious reform. As a civil rights attorney, I can address these historically oppressive aspects of the criminal justice system that have kept people of color locked out from any growth potential. Non-violent drug use and dealing are routinely used by national and international drug cartels to distribute drugs, oppress people of color and get them caught up in the criminal justice system. We need to break that cycle. We need to aggressively pursue the cartels and disincentivize members of our community from entering into this cycle. We need a crime fighter with a heart as well as a brain. Addressing root causes through counseling, rehabilitation, apprenticeship, and job placement is more effective than incarceration because young first-time offenders, often as the result of dysfunctional families, economic hardship, and self-medication, turn to crime in desperation.
What is your position on repeat or violent drug dealing offenses?
A distinction should be made here between violent drug use and violent drug dealing offenses. Violent drug dealing offenses can include murder, gun violence, stabbings, intimidation and various other criminal charges. My office will take a zero-tolerance approach to these offenses.
Violent drug use offenses are more difficult and often require intervention, but such an action requires evidence and a thorough assessment of the nature of the individual drug as well as reliable information about the offender. Offenses are often motivated by the need of the user to obtain the means to continue using. Arrestees are frequently under the influence of a drug at the time they commit the offense and are in need of drug treatment. Often jails are not adequate facilities for drug rehab. A drug's pharmacological effects must be considered when violence is a factor due to the danger to other inmates as well as to themselves. Violence due to diminished behavioral control, delusions, and paranoia are frequently exhibited. Still, the presumption of innocence applies to every detained individual.
What is your position on drug possession offenses?
I do not support the decriminalization of all drugs. I do support the decriminalization of marijuana. The broader question of other drugs would require further analysis and study on the effects on all people, especially people of color, who have historically been disproportionately affected by government drug policy. We need to address those concerns through activism and legislation at all levels of government. Understanding and reversing generational harm is essential to effective criminal justice reform. While drug users are more likely than nonusers to commit crimes, the legal use of recreational drugs is not within the jurisdiction of the District Attorney.
My administration will work tirelessly with state and Federal officials to prosecute drug possession at the cartel and distribution level. Fentanyl dealers are killing an average of 2 people per day in San Francisco and should not be tolerated. Cartel Fentanyl dealers go to jail on day one of my administration.
How should the DA's office and SFPD interact with homeless individuals?
Unhoused people are due the rights and freedoms of housed people and deserve to be treated fairly and without prejudice. Homelessness is not a crime. My role as District Attorney will be to hold the Mayor's Office, city-funded non-profits, and those city agencies accountable for the mental health and addiction crisis on the streets of San Francisco that have too often led to criminal activity and victimization.
The City uses an array of non-profits as part of the Homeless Institution. These non-profits should be held to success metrics, audited and accountable. Removing SFPD from most situations involving unhoused people has been an obvious plus, and I have the utmost confidence in the Street Crisis Response Teams. I was a big supporter of the EMS6 program at the Fire Department, which was the predecessor of the Street Crisis Response team. I lobbied heavily to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to remove the ability for police officers to place 5150 involuntary holds on people. These are powers that should be reserved for mental health and medical professionals, not the criminal justice system.
What will you do differently from your predecessor?
My predecessor's mass arrests of non-violent offenders and reneging on plea-bargained offenses are meritless. The influx of non-violent offenders contributes to the overcrowding of our jails during a time of COVID-19, endangering themselves and other detained individuals who are awaiting the disposition of their cases. They also contribute to the logjam in our court system. Many critical trials, already delayed due to the pandemic, will go beyond the statute of limitations and result in dismissal. Renegotiating plea bargains will, in many cases, undermine ongoing drug treatment progress and result in deportations. Diverting police resources to minor crimes leaves neighborhoods vulnerable to serious crimes.
Additionally, interim District Attorney Jenkins has significant influence over the decision to parole the mayor's brother, who is serving a 44-year sentence for the murder of his girlfriend following an armed robbery. The Mayor herself was a material witness in the case and was reported to have misled the police in the investigation. I will treat this matter based on the evidence, without influence from the mayor and in the interest of protecting the public, not serving the interest of the Mayor.
I will immediately re-establish the political corruption unit that was actively investigating the Mayor's office and will work with federal authorities to bring criminal prosecution where appropriate.
I will also re-establish the innocence commission in a joint task force with the public defender to ensure that no person is ever wrongly convicted of a crime. I will set up a process of review in matters of concern.
Acting-DA Brooke Jenkins boasts of her career defending healthcare corporations from government investigations. She boasts about helping publicly-traded companies hide from accounting fraud investigations so they can "investigate" themselves. She helped automakers avoid responsibility for product liability and personal injury damage claims. She helped shield foreign makers of car parts from claims by Americans injured by their products. My administration will be about serving the public, not big corporations. I have a proud record of representing workers against corporations that prey on them.
How will you reform the criminal justice system while also ensuring residents, tourists, and businesses are safe from crime?
I appreciate the focus that the Boudin administration had on Criminal Justice Reform and the elevation of this cause to the national conversation. I do not agree with how he did it, however. Cash bail, no-knock warrants, exile warrants, how rape evidence is treated, and civil assessments are some of the ways that the system needs to be reformed through direct action and legislation without sacrificing public safety. I will work in a cooperative mode with state legislators, the police commission and the SFPD, and I will include input from social programs such as the Street Crisis Response Teams and Community Ambassadors on a regular basis.
What does success look like to you?
Streets that are safe to walk down — day or night. A district attorney's office or police department that is not a part of the public conversation. If San Franciscans are not talking about us, we are doing our job to keep them safe.
Victims' rights
Do victims receive adequate support from the DA's office? Why or why not?
No. Victims have been considered collateral damage for too long. The DA's job is to make the victim the central factor in every crime. Hate crimes will be the highest priority in my office. The recent rise in violent crimes against Asians in San Francisco is evidence of racial hatred. I will treat such attacks as hate crimes when it is appropriate. I have been proving racial animus for 20 years in my civil rights cases. Interim DA Jenkins doesn't have the skillset or the confidence in her own office to charge these crimes. I will send a message that we won't tolerate violent crimes against our Asian community. She has sent the message that she will be soft on these crimes. The same applies to religion, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics of the victim.
What would you change about the support victims receive?
The DA's Victim Services Division has been expanded under Chesa Boudin, and it is one of his reform measures that has worked —and should be further expanded — especially with regard to non-English speakers. It doesn't just begin and end with the website. The systems, programs and equipment at the DA's office need to be updated and made more user-friendly for all languages. There are many cultural, contextual, and idiomatic elements that challenge non-native English speakers daily, especially so in the criminal justice system. I would begin with a thorough assessment of the problem and proceed to hire more diverse employees.
It is critical to keep the focus on victims, and I will continue to provide assistance to victims and their families. It is essential to make the criminal justice system more humane after a crime, during prosecution, and after a verdict.
What, if any, crimes would you prioritize when considering the needs of victims? How would you implement this and what would you do?
Violence is not acceptable under any condition. Aggressive prosecution in certain circumstances is a must. Depending on the crime, crisis support, counseling, support referrals, TRO assistance and victim compensation support through state programs must be readily available, especially to the victims of violence. Victims of theft are also often left in vulnerable positions and often need social intervention programs as well as restitution, compensation and counseling.
When, if at all, is it appropriate to charge children as adults?
Charging children as adults is an extraordinary measure that must take into account the circumstances of the crime. In some circumstances, it may even be appropriate to hold their parents and guardians responsible at some level. Children often need rehabilitation; too many are addicted at a young age, frequently due to their perceived need to self-medicate. Our criminal justice system is the wrong venue to make a permanent change in the lives of these impressionable individuals. The long-range goal must be to get addicted people into rehabilitation programs and into stable lives. Our commitment must be to education, and the role free City College and apprenticeship programs play in our city become more obvious to me every day. I am grateful for the years I spent on the board of the Omega Boy's Club and its focus on education for our vulnerable youth.
Public health
Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco?
Supervised consumption services are the result of the failed mental health and addiction policies of the Mayor and her Department of Public Health. San Franciscans need to hold their government accountable for its failure to address mental health and addiction in a humane way. State and federal law (on the desk of the governor as we speak) will dictate the legality of these centers. If the Department of Public Health stepped up and provided these addiction services — these centers would be unnecessary. I recognize that the existing failed policies made this conversation necessary to save lives, and I would differ to medical and health officials regarding their necessity.
Do you support our current laissez-faire approach to open-air drug usage? What would you change?
While I don't support the laissez-faire approach, I oppose mass arrests. Drug-addicted people have rights that must be respected. I would look to the available social service programs and consult on the street know-how to determine a course of action when prosecution is required and always on a case-by-case basis.
At the cartel and distribution level, the response would be different. Many of the drugs distributed in San Francisco come from cartels outside the city, state and country in many cases. I will aggressively go after these cartels that prey on our local residents to do their dirty work because they bring death, crime and blight to our streets.
Police
What do you consider are some recent successes and struggles of SFPD?
SFPD arrests such as the suspect in the attack on 70-year-old former Commissioner Gregory Chew often make the news, as well as the several arrests for multiple firearms involving juveniles While these are acknowledged successes, hundreds of important interventions go unnoticed. SFPD is not perfect, but too often, its successes go unnoticed.
In what ways can the SFPD shift its priorities to better serve the city?
I am hopeful that recent reforms, approved by the Board of Supervisors, that shift some of the workloads from police to social services will have positive outcomes. Reforms, unlike laws that affect them, take time to implement and carefully assess to assure the results are what was intended. I also believe that we can use technology to better serve the public, gather police reports, report on crimes and solve crimes.
How do you intend to work with SFPD towards your goals?
I believe we can accomplish our goals with the respectful cooperation of the Police Department, and I will include input from social programs such as the Street Crisis Response Teams and Community Ambassadors. A working relationship with the police department is essential. As the top law enforcement officer of San Francisco, the police chief should report to the district attorney, not the mayor. Toward that end, I would initiate a ballot measure to give the DA the appointment authority of the police chief. The buck stops at the DA's office for all matters criminal. The mayor uses the chief of police too often for political theater.
How can your office help improve morale and performance at SFPD?
It is understandably demoralizing when the best efforts of dedicated police officers do not result in suspects being charged and prosecuted. On the other hand, not all arrests are "good" arrests. I believe that we need to do a deep dive into police policy, procedure and training. I am a strong believer that if we have defects in this training, we cannot hold police officers personally responsible for how they are trained. We need to change policies we don't like and stand by officers when they do what they are trained to do. That will give them some stability — knowing that the system will back them. Officers currently don't have that stability and constantly fear being disciplined or prosecuted, causing them to stand by when they should be standing in.
Budget
Is the DA's office adequately funded?
The answer to this is no. The DA's office is making do with existing levels of funding, but the people deserve better. The DA's office needs a top-down audit to determine that funds are used effectively to achieve the goals that the office requires. A full assessment of the equipment and programs is an essential step in moving ahead. The level of funding depends on caseloads and the ability to hire professionals at pay rates based on the level of experience and expertise expected from San Franciscans.
Which DA programs or departments need increased funding? Which could get by with less funding?
I support Boudin's increases in the Public Corruption Unit, Search Warrant Consultation, Immigration Unit, Post-Conviction Unit and the Victim Services Division, among others. I am especially concerned that the current occupant has crippled the Public Corruption Unit at the behest of political allies, namely the Mayor.
If you could wave a magic wand, how might you change the budget for the DA, Public Defender, and SFPD?
I would wish for competent professionals to perform a zero-based budget audit for all three departments.
Policy
Now that we know where you align and differ from our vision for San Francisco, we'd like to get some details about how you intend to use your elected office to achieve your goals.
Why are you running for District Attorney?
I am running for San Francisco District Attorney to make this a safer City to live, work and raise a family. I was born and raised in San Francisco and intend to raise my son here. The people of San Francisco expect their District Attorney to be qualified and competent to deliver a 21st-century criminal justice system that will keep them safe, serve victims, and reform deficiencies that have disproportionately affected and oppressed people of color and low-income individuals. I am running for district attorney because I am qualified to deliver a justice system that is fair, equitable, and accountable to each of us.
What is your #1 policy goal?
San Francisco used to be a City where everyone felt safe. Anyone could walk on any San Francisco street — day or night —without being afraid for their safety. Reestablishing a peaceful City is my #1 goal.
How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?
While the Police Department and the DA are independent and separate, a truly safe city can only materialize by working in cooperation with each other and including input from social programs with extensive street experience. Working with the citizens and small businesses to understand how we can better serve them is an important endeavor. Sometimes it is as simple as being a good listener.
Will the power of the office of District Attorney be enough to achieve this goal?
No, I would petition to move the appointment authority of the chief of police to the DA and mandate minimum spending on the DA's public safety budget annually. The District Attorney is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the County with the power to investigate, call a grand jury, indict and prosecute criminal activity within the jurisdiction of the county, including the Mayor's office.
Both the DA and Mayor should work together toward promoting public safety but should, at all times, maintain their independence and avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?
See above, Criminal Justice Reform, Mental Health & addiction.
What is an existing policy you would like to reform?
Wage theft and other corporate crimes are real and will be prosecuted when I am District Attorney. Too often, employers take advantage of non-English speakers or employees with limited English speaking skills. I have represented clients against employers — from the smallest to the largest corporations in the country — in cases involving wage theft related to protected classes (age, gender, race, sexual orientation) and in retaliation (whistleblower) cases.
Investigate political corruption. At the time of the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, there were several active criminal investigations involving the Mayor's office. Since the Mayor's appointment of interim District Attorney Jenkins, it has been reported that the political corruption unit has been disbanded.
What is an "out there" change that you would make to SF / local government / policy, if you could? (For example: adding at-large supervisors, changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)
To depoliticize the role of the Chief of Police, I will initiate a ballot measure to assign the appointment authority of the Chief of Police away from the Mayor to the District Attorney. Due to San Francisco's common jurisdictional boundaries, we are the only city and county where this would work.
Personal
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Why did you become a prosecutor?
I have a strong commitment to protecting the rights and livelihoods of all people. As a civil rights attorney, I fight against employers who discriminate based on race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, union affiliation, and age. I have taken on some of the largest corporations in the country.
I was hired by progressive DA Terence Hallinan, who assigned me to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), where I worked on a Diversion Program that held people accountable for criminal activity but also created opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation. I was also assigned to investigate SF Police Officers for criminal activity and custodial deaths.
As a civil rights attorney for more than 21 years, I have taken my activism to the courtrooms of both state and federal courthouses around the country. My career has been devoted to serving employees who have been discriminated against and treated unfairly and protecting whistleblowers within government and corporations.
I am a born and raised San Franciscan and I want my 13-year-old son to get the best version of San Francisco. A version where he feels safe to thrive and enjoy the great diversity, and natural beauty of this city.
Why do you have an interest in being District Attorney?
I am running for San Francisco District Attorney to make this a safer City to live, work and raise a family and because I am qualified to deliver such a justice system, one that is fair, equitable, and accountable to each of us.
What do you want to be remembered for, and why?
For leaving San Francisco in a better place and condition then when I found it. I want to be remembered as the district attorney who brought the necessary peace that could lead to a renaissance in San Francisco.
How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?
My parents brought me into San Francisco on March 22, 1973 when I was born at St. Mary's hospital.
What do you love most about San Francisco?
The best thing about San Francisco is San Franciscans. We have been through so much together, AIDS, Loma Prieta, homelessness and a housing crisis, and a pandemic that has affected every family and business. Yet City Hall seems hopelessly mired in self-serving incompetence, corruption and waste. But San Franciscans know how to pull together. In 1906 we got back on our feet and helped the other guy get back up too. That's the San Francisco way and that's what a San Franciscan is.
What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?
City Hall is hopelessly mired in self-serving incompetence, corruption and waste.
Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)
In my career, I have served on several boards of non-profits, including the Omega Boys Club, which supports at-risk San Francisco youth ensuring college admission and financial support. I am the founder and Executive Director of the National First Responders Fund (nfrf.org), which supports first responders with mental health injuries by providing training programs and funding. This role has given me great exposure to issues involving mental health. I also currently serve on the California Senate's International Relations Board, representing the State of California throughout the world. My civil rights legal practice is ongoing.
Thank you
Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!
If you see any errors on this page, please let us know at contact@growsf.org.