Brooke Jenkins Won’t Apologize for Prosecuting Crime
What It Takes with Sarah McCammon
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Brooke Jenkins was a homicide prosecutor in San Francisco when she walked out the door and helped lead a campaign to fire her own boss. That boss was one of the most famous progressive prosecutors in America. He had promised fewer prosecutions and a new model of justice.
But as drug markets spread and theft videos went viral, voters in one of America’s most liberal cities decided the experiment had gone too far. After they recalled him in 2022, Jenkins was appointed to replace him.
Since then, San Francisco has become a test of a question Democrats face everywhere: Can the party get serious about crime and disorder without giving up on reform?
Sarah McCammon spoke with District Attorney Jenkins about how she found her calling prosecuting violent crime, how she balances holding dangerous offenders accountable and partnering with at-risk communities, and what San Francisco can teach national Democrats.