Oakland's progressive DA Pamela Price says those funding recall campaign against her are filled with 'hatred and racism,' after violent crime soared 21% in dying California city

Oakland's district attorney has vowed to fight against the 'hatred and racism' as she faces a possible recall vote after just 14 months in charge. 

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is under pressure over the soaring levels of crime in the dying Bay Area city.

But she claims the campaign against her is being 'financed by billionaires who have no interest in public safety', according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

'I plan to push back against the hatred and racism that they have brought to Alameda County,' Price said on Friday following a panel with other county prosecutors at the University of California, Berkeley. 

It comes after she was accused of regularly dubbing 'the media and the Asians' as her enemies in a bombshell $1.5 million legal filing.

Oakland's district attorney Pamela Price has vowed to fight against the 'hatred and racism' as she faces a possible recall vote after just 14 months in charge

The Alameda County District Attorney is under pressure over the soaring levels of crime in the dying Bay Area city

Crime has continued to spiral on Price's watch, up by almost 20 percent in 2023 compared to 2019. A woman is pictured being dragged by her bag during a mugging in Oakland 

Price, who was previously a civil rights lawyer, became the county's first black district attorney when she was elected in 2022.

She promised to reduce sentences for defendants under the ages of 25, crack down on police misconduct and end mass incarceration. 

But a campaign has been launched to recall her and its sponsors submitted 123,000 signatures to county election officials on Monday.

The county's Registrar of Voters has 10 days to decide whether the petition includes at least 73,000 valid signatures to put the question to a vote.

More than $2million has been raised to remove Price from office and the largest donation was $390,000 from Oakland resident and financier Phillip Dreyfuss.

The panel at the event was hosted by former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin who was recalled by voters in the city back in 2022. He was also accused of being soft of crime.  

Boudin claimed he looked to 'decrease reliance on incarceration as the primary response to social problems'.

But he sought harsher enforcement against larger companies and gun manufacturers and added: 'In the process, I made some powerful enemies.' 

While Price said: 'From Chesa’s experience and my experience, we’ve become a punching bag. Long sentences do not reduce crime.'

She pointed to how crime in the county had been rising under District Attorney Nancy O’Malley but 'after my election, suddenly I’m responsible for things many moons before'.

Price, who was previously a civil rights lawyer, became the county's first black district attorney when she was elected in 2022 

An Apple store in Oakland was raided by a customer who yanked multiple iPhones off their stands earlier this week. The Bay Area city has become synonymous with soaring crime and prosecutors seemingly unable to tackle it 

Oakland's only In-N-Out Burger announced it is closing amid a spate of crimes against its patrons, including break-ins such as this 

Price claimed her policies on sentencing have not contributed to more crime and that her office has set up a mental health commission and civil rights bureau as well as settled with businesses for improper disposal of hazardous waste.

Her comments come after Patti Lee, who worked as Price's spokesperson for around six months last year until she fired her, said the DA 'constantly and openly' made derogatory comments about Asian Americans.

Her legal claim - a precursor to a lawsuit - says that she was fired because of anti-Asian discrimination, and after she complained about breaches of duty in the office.

She is seeking a $1.5 million settlement for emotional distress stemming from retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination and failure to pay wages.

Oakland saw crime soar by 21 percent between 2022 and 2023. Robberies rose by 38 percent, while vehicle theft rocketed by 45 percent.

The dystopian city saw 15,000 cars stolen last year - meaning roughly one in every 30 of its residents had their car stolen.

In-N-Out Burger closed its only restaurant in the city over a spate of break-ins in its parking lot - the only closure in the chain's 70 year history.

A nearby Denny's also closed, with California Governor Gavin Newsom sending in his own prosecutors in a bid to try and clear up the mess.

Oakland's similarly progressive Mayor Sheng Thao is facing her own recall over the chaos after the city's reputation crumbled on her watch.