At the United States Park Police, Chief Pamela Smith will lead a 560-member workforce that protects the public, parks, and the nation’s most iconic landmarks in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco metropolitan areas.
As a police officer patrolling the streets of Los Angeles, I made split-second decisions every day based on risk. Yet after we arrested someone, the decision to keep them in jail or send them home awaiting trial didn’t hinge on risk but rather on their wealth. Our cash bail system wastes critical resources by incarcerating people pretrial who aren’t likely to reoffend, while letting high-risk individuals pay for release. Thankfully, we have a chance to end money bail this November by voting YES on Prop. 25.