Democrat Cities See A Surge In Crime

Communities Across The Country Are Becoming More Dangerous As A Result Of Democrat Policies

VIOLENCE HAS PLAGUED THE FIRST HALF OF 2023

• Crime is spiking across the country – a direct result of Biden and Democrats’ pro-criminal policies.
  • Over Memorial Day weekend, cities like Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles experienced a weekend filled with violence.
  • So far in 2023, 26 of the top 30 cities with the highest murder rates are run by Democrats. 
• This continues the violent wave of crime that has been building for the past few years, ever since the defund the police movement – championed by Democrats – began.
• At least nine cities, seven of which are Democrat-run, saw record homicides last year.
  • Many other major cities in 2022 saw homicide levels not seen in decades, including New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
• Motor vehicle thefts continue to rise, following the roughly 470,000 total thefts reported in the U.S. in 2022.
  • In Washington, D.C., carjackings are up 57 percent compared to this time last year.
  • In Chicago, more than 20,000 cars have been stolen in just the past year – up 70 percent.
• Retail theft is soaring, causing many retailers to lock up merchandise, close stores, or even leave cities altogether.
  • Nordstrom, Whole Foods, and 17 other retailers have all made the decision to leave San Francisco since 2020.

DEMOCRATS PUSH PRO-CRIMINAL POLICIES, IGNORE THE CONSEQUENCES

• The Democrat Party has become the pro-criminal party – many of the Democrats elected this past November ran on pro-criminal platforms.
  • Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed support for releasing one-third of prisoners, eliminating cash bail, opening heroin injection sites, and decriminalizing all drugs, including fentanyl.
  • New York Governor Kathy Hochul stands by cashless bail, supports DAs who refuse to enforce the law, and lowered penalties for parole violations, including failed drug tests.
  • Oregon Governor Tina Kotek stands by the state’s failed drug decriminalization measure and wants a “meth stabilization center” in Portland to further enable illicit drug markets.
  • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she “support[s] that spirit” of “defund the police.”
• When Republicans brought attention to crime victims earlier this year, Democrats dismissed these victims as “props in a MAGA Broadway production.”

BIDEN REFUSES TO STAND UP TO SOFT-ON-CRIME DEMOCRATS

• Biden failed to stand up to the radicals in his own party who pushed defunding the police and has surrounded himself with an administration full of defund the police activists.
  • Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris supports “reimagining” the police, saying putting “more police on the streets” is not the way to make communities safer.
  • Biden’s Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta stated “It is also critical… to decrease police budgets and the scope, role, and responsibility of police in our lives.”
  • Biden’s Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke wrote an op-ed where she repeatedly called for defunding cops, saying “we must invest less in police.”
  • Biden’s former Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms admitted she was defunding the police through a “reallocation of resources” when she served as Atlanta’s Mayor.
  • The Biden administration has hosted numerous defund the police activists according to White House visitor logs.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR DEMOCRATS’ POLICIES

• Police departments are struggling to combat both a lack of funds and a lack of respect as they try to do their jobs.
  • Democrats are on record repeatedly calling to defund the police and following through by slashing money from police budgets.
  • Two months ago, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said that raises for police officers are “misplaced.”
  • Last month, Biden abruptly canceled his speech honoring fallen police officers for National Police Week.
• As crime has surged, so have attacks on the men and women in blue.
  • In Biden’s first year in office, ambush-style attacks on law enforcement increased by 115 percent.
  • In Biden’s second year, 129 officers were shot in 89 separate ambush-style attacks.
  • So far in 2023, 54 officers have already been shot in 47 separate ambush-style attacks.
• Police departments across the county are seeing historic drops in staffing as police officers have become fed up with the lack of support.
  • The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department has shrunk to a half-century low while the city currently faces a rise in homicides, robberies, and sexual abuse crimes.
  • The New York Police Department saw more resignations in 2022 than at any time in the last 20 years.
  • The Los Angeles Police Department is down nearly 1,000 officers since 2019.
  • The Seattle Police Department has lost over 300 officers since 2020 and hasn’t been able to replace them with anything but “small pilot programs.”

POLLING SHOWS AMERICANS REJECT DEMOCRATS’ SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES

• Polling consistently shows the American people are fed up with Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies. 
• 67 percent of voters believe crime in America is getting worse according to the latest Harvard/Harris poll.
• 81 percent of Americans are concerned about the increase in crime rates across the U.S. according to a recent Fox News poll.
• More than half of Americans disapprove of the way Biden is handling the issue of crime according to an Economist/YouGov poll.
• Millions of people are voting with their feet and fleeing Democrat-led cities.

REPUBLICANS ARE COMMITED TO MAKING OUR NATION SAFER

• Republicans are listening to voters who are fed up with the pro-criminal policies that are making their communities more dangerous.
• While Democrats push policies that simply embolden criminals, Republicans are committed to securing the border, reducing crime, and protecting public safety.
  • Earlier this year, House Republicans nullified Washington, D.C.’s soft-on-crime law that would have reduced penalties for murderers, carjackers, armed robbers, and home invaders.
  • In April, House Republicans held a hearing in New York City to give crime victims a voice – during which even a Democrat member of the New York City Council raised concerns over the rise in crime.
  • Last month, House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act to put an end to Biden’s border crisis.