Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has reversed his controversial policy of not prosecuting thefts under $750.
The move comes after months of criticism from residents and local law enforcement and scrutiny in news coverage from The Dallas Express.
“I want the people of Dallas County and our partner police agencies to know that I have heard their concerns,” Creuzot said in a press release provided to The Dallas Express. “I will change when change is needed, so to that end, I am rescinding the policy.
“Through data analysis, and conversations with community organizations, retailers, and independent loss prevention specialists, I found the policy had zero effect on crime in the county – positive or negative,” Creuzot claimed.
“I have come to the understanding that this policy is more aspirational than realistic and rather than helping those in need, I have watched that population, and primarily people of color, be blamed for a rise in crime,” he continued.
Creuzot’s decision follows months of backlash over the policy, with political opponents calling the district attorney “Let-em-go Creuzot.”
In defense of his non-prosecution strategy, Creuzot stated in the press release that it only applied to “the theft of necessary items like food, diapers, or baby formula that amounts between $100 and $750 … unless evidence shows the theft was for economic gain.”
He claimed he intended to “decriminalize poverty” but that his policy had been “misrepresented and politicized,” allegedly creating “a sense of mistrust about [his] office.”
Creuzot also blamed misconceptions about his non-prosecution policy for its poor reception, providing “a small sampling of things [his] office has been unfairly accused [of].”
He suggested that people had alleged his policy contributed to the “thefts of televisions, motorcycles, and catalytic converters,” that he had told police “not to file any catalytic converter cases,” that his office was “no longer accepting any misdemeanor theft cases,” and that businesses had to close as a consequence of the policy.
Recently, Creuzot blamed reporting by The Dallas Express for the public backlash, apparently becoming “visibly rattled” when challenged over his policies at an event.
Creuzot won another four-year term as district attorney earlier this month over a challenge from former Dallas district attorney Faith Johnson, as reported by The Dallas Express. While Creuzot underperformed the other Democrats on the ticket, he still received over 60% of the vote.
His victory was in part funded by donations from groups linked to left-wing megadonor George Soros, who has fueled the election of many far-left district attorneys across the county.