Kamala Harris Adds Police Chiefs To Transition Team
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Attorney General-Elect Kamala Harris has added three top Bay Area police chiefs to her "Smart on Leadership Committee."
Her new transition team includes the police chiefs of East Palo Alto, San Francisco and Oakland.
KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:
Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts said he will balance the new position with handling his duties in Oakland.
"Crime-related issues that are in urban environments like Oakland impact other cities along the same line," Batts said. "This is not going to take me away from my job. If I work this right, hopefully, we'll get resources to come help me do my job in Oakland."
Harris' team will include eleven committees, including those dealing with gangs and guns, mortgage fraud, the environment, victim's rights, the state budget and recidivism.
"On an annual basis, we release 120,000 prisoners and within three years of their release, 70 percent re-offend," she said. "I can tell you, as DA of a major city in this state, it costs me on average $10,000 every time I prosecute a felony."
Among the committee members are top leaders from Microsoft, eBay, Google, Apple and Lotus.
Harris said she expects each committee to issue a report to her by the first of March on how best to run the attorney general's office.
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