Boston Abandons "Broken Windows" Policing:  Last March, the newly elected District Attorney of Suffolk County, MA,  announced that her office would no longer prosecute low level offenders such as petty thieves, drug dealers, prostitutes and trespassers.  The Boston Herald reports that Rachel Rollings, who ran on a progressive criminal justice reform platform, will focus on programs that address the "underlying reasons" for those committing "minor crimes" rather than punishing the offenders.  Former Boston and New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told reporters that the policy will invite more crime, including more serious crime.  Bratton, who implemented "Broken Windows" policing to dramatically reduce crime in New York City in the 1990s, believes that downtown Boston may see a return of "The Zone" where streets were flooded with pimps, hookers and hustlers in the 70s and 80s.  "There is no such thing as a victimless crime.  The victim is society.  The victim is the neighborhood and the victim is the city," said Bratton.  

SF District Attorney May Challenge LADA Jackie Lacey:  Progressive San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon is contemplating a 2020 campaign for District Attorney of Los Angeles.  Alene Tchekmedyian and James Queally of the Los Angeles Times report that several social justice activists including the San Francisco-based Real Justice PAC have approached Gascon to encourage that he run against Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey.  Lacey, who was first elected in 2012, has been criticized for not being progressive enough, and for her unwillingness to prosecute police officers for alleged excessive force.  In announcing her campaign for reelection Lacey rolled out an impressive list of endorsements from liberal democrats including LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. House members Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu and several members of the LA Board of Supervisors.  The Real Justice PAC, which helped elect Boston DA Rachel Rollings, would be joined by the ACLU and several groups supported by George Soros in bankrolling the Gascon campaign.