EL CENTRO— District Attorney George Marquez and members of the District Attorney's Office hosted a meet and greet on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The event aimed to strengthen the office’s connections with community members and business owners.
The gathering took place at the District Office in downtown El Centro, in the conference room of the building. The intimate event included District Attorney Marquez, prosecutors, public defenders, investigators, community members and business owners, providing an opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts with the office. This meet and greet was the first of its kind, with a second event planned to take place in Brawley and a possible third one in Calexico.
Marquez thanked guests for attending the event and acknowledged the Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce for its assistance in arranging the meet and greet.
Marquez expressed satisfaction with the work the office has accomplished in the past 18 months. One of the biggest challenges he faced upon taking office was the lack of staffing; the office has increased from nine to 18 prosecutors to serve the 190,000 residents of the Imperial Valley. With a total of 66 staff members, the office is focused on hiring the most qualified prosecutors for the county and accommodating the growing population of the Imperial Valley.
The office is currently aiming to expand its victim witness assistance program due to the caseload advocates handle, which averages 750 cases per advocate. Additionally, plans for increased office space with a new training room for prosecutors, are in progress. Over the past 18 months, the office has enhanced its electronic services, instituting electronic subpoenas and a new victim notification service.
“We’re trying to find a way to reach the community and its different facets,” Marquez said.
One of the most common crimes in the Imperial Valley is commercial theft. Proposition 36 is a new measure which would allow for people convicted of retail theft to receive a longer sentence and aggregate penalties for such crimes. Proposition 36 would provide the District Attorney's Office with the necessary tools to convict commercial thieves and deter potential offenders.
“Laws need to have a backbone to hold them (offenders) accountable,” Marquez said.
The office conducts outreach to schools around the county to educate young people on the consequences of crime. Students learn about the consequences of drugs, theft and dating violence while parents are taught to recognize signs that a child may be involved in criminal behavior.
