Whistleblower exposes truth about Gavin Newsom’s parole boar…

A former California parole agent is raising alarms about what he claims is dangerously lax oversight of parolees under the state’s corrections system — warning the lack of monitoring could put the public at risk.

The ex-agent, who spent 15 years with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, says supervision of offenders fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic and never fully recovered, KCRA 3 reported.

His allegations are now sparking fresh concerns about the state’s parole policies under Gov. Gavin Newsom. The California Post has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.

The former parole officer — who worked for six years in the San Francisco parole office — spoke anonymously out of fear of retaliation, but said he felt compelled to go public about what he described as a deeply flawed system, according to the local news outlet.

“As a sex offender agent, I had GPS tracking information, so I could see pretty much where they were at any given time, but beyond that, what they were doing at those moments, I have no idea,” the former agent told KCRA 3.

The whistleblower said the problems began when pandemic restrictions forced parole officers to supervise offenders mostly by phone rather than face-to-face meetings.

“It was literally, ‘Are you abiding by the law today? Yes? Fantastic,’” the former agent explained. “Whatever they told us is exactly what we would put in the system.”

Even after COVID-era restrictions were lifted and agents returned to fieldwork, he claims they were instructed to avoid traditional enforcement duties such as conducting investigations or making arrests related to parole violations.

According to the former officer, that hands-off approach could create the illusion that the system is working.

“Logically speaking, if you do not actively investigate, pursue, and arrest these individuals, and we are the best tasked to do that … well, now rehabilitation appears that it’s working and recidivism is dropping,” he said.

“Because if you’re leaving it to external agencies to do your job … it’s much less likely that they will be discovered at least as often as they’re committing crimes.”

The concerns come as the family of Hanako Abe pursues legal action over a deadly crash that critics say exposed potential gaps in the parole system.

Abe, 27, and Elizabeth Platt, 60, were fatally struck in December 2020 while crossing a street in downtown San Francisco.

Prosecutors say the driver, Troy McAlister, was allegedly speeding and intoxicated on meth and alcohol when he ran a red light and plowed into the women in a crosswalk.

According to a government claim filed earlier this month by Abe’s family, police in Daly City had reached out to state parole agents just two days before the crash, asking for help locating McAlister because of parole violations.

But the family claims that assistance never came.

The filing references a May 2020 email allegedly sent by parole supervisors in San Francisco directing officers not to assist other law enforcement agencies and to avoid actively searching for violations.

Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation declined to address the claims directly.

“While CDCR can’t comment on potential pending litigation, the Department’s top priority is public safety,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Still, the former parole agent warned that without stronger oversight, similar tragedies could occur again.

“They’re not being properly supervised. I believe that’s purposeful in nature. And unequivocally, I will state that they are not safe,” the former agent said.

“People are not safe at all. These parolees are left to rampage throughout the state and more issues will occur that are similar in nature to, unfortunately, the incident that occurred in San Francisco.”

McAlister is currently awaiting trial and has pleaded not guilty to charges that include vehicular manslaughter.

The case has already stirred political controversy across the Bay Area, contributing to the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, whose office previously chose not to pursue a life sentence against McAlister in an earlier case.

Court records show McAlister has a lengthy criminal history that includes nine felony convictions, ranging from drug-related offenses to attempted carjacking and robbery.

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