District Attorney office leaders presented the offices 2026 recommended budget and discussed crime trends, prosecution volumes and operational cost pressures tied to increasing volumes of electronic evidence.

Why it matters: the District Attorneys charging and prosecutorial resources directly affect public safety priorities, diversion and treatment programs, and the countys capacity to pursue violent-offense prosecutions.

District Attorney (as introduced in the record) discussed recent crime trends, saying many serious offenses have declined while homicide is up slightly year-over-year. The DA credited community prevention and intervention programs, including credible messengers and community violence interrupters, for helping curb violent incidents.

The DA said felony-level prosecutions are at the highest level seen in a decade and described expanded use of diversion and early-intervention options, including drug treatment and mental-health treatment courts.

Budget details and state funding: the DA said the office retains roughly the same number of attorneys it has had for recent years and that a state budget action preserved funding for "12.5 prosecutors" who otherwise would have faced cuts as ARPA and other temporary funds expired. He said the office historically finds additional grant funds to support proactive neighborhood work and treatment court programming.

Evidence-management costs: the DA called attention to rapidly growing volumes of digital evidence and the associated storage and processing costs. He said the office stored 84,000 pieces of electronic evidence in 2020 compared with about 2,000,000 in the most recent year cited, and that increased storage/management needs have raised the office's Axon/case-management costs.

Committee questions: supervisors asked about staffing contingency plans and the status of custody-death investigations being reviewed by the DA's office; the DA said one custody-death investigation recently was provided for review and timing for completion varies depending on case specifics. The DA closed by reiterating the offices fiscal prudence and asking for continued support.

Ending: the committee did not take formal action; DA staff indicated they would continue to work with the county and the state to secure funds for prosecution and evidence-management needs.