OPINION:
From New York to San Francisco, it seems no city has gone untouched by the nation’s crime epidemic. Politically driven soft-on-crime policies combined with untreated mental illness, substance abuse, and scripted media have only exacerbated the problem in our communities, including increased violence toward police officers. The criminal justice system itself — the very institutions upholding the rule of law in our society — is being manipulated to serve the incoherent interests of the social justice elites at the expense of public safety.
It was not always this way. Just a few short years ago, our communities were safer, drug overdose deaths were receding for the first time in decades, and criminal justice reform was defined by accountability and increased resources for law and order.
In 2018, we started to see a shift in narrative among elected officials who aligned themselves and their agenda with the “defund the police” movement. Our nation quickly turned from stability to chaos, and our cities became war zones. Politicians used this vulnerability to push their soft-on-crime policies and stoked the flame of disrespect and disdain for law enforcement.
Some elected leaders went so far as to defund their local police departments. Washington, D.C., ground zero for much of the civil unrest and violence, stripped their department of $15 million at the height of the chaos. These irresponsible decisions have contributed to a growing exodus of qualified police officers leaving the profession and a new crisis in recruiting and retention.
The “defund” movement also ushered into office a number of so-called progressive prosecutors who vowed to use their positions not to pursue policies geared toward crime reduction but rather to address alleged “inequities” in the criminal justice system. Their aim was to get criminals out of jail and back on the street by promoting decarceration and decriminalization policies. As if on cue, areas where these policies have been aggressively pursued have only seen worsening crime and social disorder.
Many of these communities have begun to take notice. Even San Francisco, a bastion of extreme progressive politics, recalled their social justice-advocating district attorney, Chesa Boudin, earlier this year amid a noticeable spike in crime and drug use. The residents of Los Angeles County, home to progressive district attorney George Gascon, have twice thus far attempted to muster the necessary signatures to place Gascon on the recall ballot as the city grapples with the highest number of homicides in 15 years.
Professionals in the criminal justice system have taken notice as well. According to the Chicago Tribune, 235 people have resigned from the office of Cook County’s progressive state’s attorney, Kimberly Foxx, in just the past two years. In one highly publicized resignation, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Jim Murphy publicly stated that Foxx’s office was “more concerned about political narratives and agendas than with victims and prosecuting violent crime.” He continued: “I wish I could stay. However, I can no longer work for this administration. I have zero confidence in leadership.”
While elected officials begin to retreat from the failed results of the “defund” movement, we must continue to hold them accountable for their promotion of social justice advocates to positions of authority in the criminal justice system and for their soft-on-crime policies that ensue chaos and a lack of respect for law enforcement.
All Americans and their families deserve a safe place to call home, and the good news is that it’s not too late to turn things around. Historically high crime rates of the past were effectively curtailed through sound, data-driven policing, fair but decisive sentencing practices, and a justice system that placed the interests of victims and law-abiding citizens over those perpetrating the crimes. We know the answers to fighting back against today’s growing crime wave — it is now time to take the steps to implement them.
• Pam Bondi serves as co-chair of the Center for Law and Justice at the America First Policy Institute. She previously served as the 37th Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and was the first woman elected to the office.
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