Alameda County DA takes action on past policies on first day in office
OAKLAND — In her first act as Alameda County District Attorney, Ursula Jones Dickson quickly rescinded a handful of policies implemented by her predecessor Pamela Price, including a directive, obtained by CBS News Bay Area, that required supervisory approval before adding certain specified enhancements to a case, including particularly gun enhancement charges.
It marks a swift change that voters overwhelmingly asked for when recalling Price in November by a 63% - 37% margin.
Dickson barely had time to settle into her office — a space once occupied by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren — before being met with a court strike that halted proceedings and underscored the challenges ahead.
But for Dickson, the difficulties of the job were never a deterrent.
"It's only 10:30, and I feel like I've had a full day," she told CBS News Bay Area in her first sit-down interview in office. "But it feels a little surreal sitting at the desk of (former Supreme Court Chief Justice) Earl Warren. That's an interesting feeling. I'm ready to kind of sink into this, but I'm trying to make sure that I have a moment just to relish what is really going on here."
A longtime Oakland resident, Dickson has called Alameda County home for more than two decades. She's seen firsthand the public safety struggles of the county.
"You know, I sat back and pontificated about how things should be. But I hate people who do that, like, if you really want to change something, do something about it. I was absolutely willing to give the last administration a chance to do what they needed to do. Once a recall is in place, then somebody needs to step up. And why would I not step up if I have any concerns about what's going on?" she explained.
Dickson enters her appointment at a crossroads time for Alameda County as its largest city, Oakland, faces steep budget cuts and police staffing shortages, and a temporary leader.
"Oakland is really struggling, like we're on an IV right now," she said. "They don't have the police, the budget's a mess, and we're waiting to see who our next mayor is. But our job is clear — when cases come in, we do our part."
Dickson's career in public service has spanned multiple roles — from prosecutor in the very office she now leads to Alameda County Superior Court judge. Now, as the county's top law enforcement official following her appointment last month, she says she's not in it for the title.
"The people here are like, 'What should we call you?' I'm like, 'Ursula. That's my name, Ursula,'" she said. "And so I don't care about the title. I just care about the work. And that has been the case as a judge, and it will continue to be the case as a district attorney."
Despite a 19% decrease in violent crime across Oakland last year, crime remains a pressing issue. But Dickson handles the next step: prosecutions. According to Department of Justice data, only 3.7% of violent crimes were solved in 2023, and that's where her work begins.
"We cannot stop the crime from occurring, but we can turn and we can make sure that people know that when something happens to them and it's brought to our office, something happens, there is a consequence for every action and action and reaction," Dickson said.
Beyond the streets, change may also be coming within the District Attorney's Office itself. Prosecutors face a shortage of resources and a backlog of cases, some so old they risk being dismissed.
"It is my goal to make sure that everybody is a utility player at the DA's office, that you can do all things," Dickson said. "We used to call it the 'fungible DA,' that everybody's trained to do everything from a misdemeanor trial all the way up to preliminary hearings, felony trials, charging, and specifically able to try a murder case, because we have so many of them here in Alameda County, unfortunately. So I need everybody to be able to do that, and that will take us some time to determine whether or not folks are willing to do that, or even able to do that."
One of her first major policy shifts involves speeding up the charging process, marking a departure from her predecessor's progressive policies.
"Our job is to make sure we at most can protect our community by also making sure that, you know, young people who make dumb mistakes, everybody doesn't have to go to state prison for everything that they do," she said. "But you can't continue to do the same thing over and over again with the same result, and not call that insanity."
Ultimately, Dickson sees her role as ensuring that crime has consequences.
"I don't have a problem making a decision. That's been my job for 11 years," she said. "And so this is a hard job that requires you make hard decisions. And I've been doing that every day."
Dickson confirmed she plans to hire Annie Esposito — former chief assistant for the Alameda County District Attorney who also vied for District Attorney — as her own chief assistant.
