Crime
Tougher Crime Measures Nationwide Moving Away From Defund The Police Movement
Clear Facts
- In the 2024 elections, Americans signaled a shift towards supporting law enforcement, moving away from the “defund the police” movement.
- California voters rejected progressive policies and politicians, favoring measures that increase penalties for certain crimes.
- Other states like Colorado and Arizona passed propositions to increase law enforcement funding and impose stricter crime measures.
The 2024 election results indicate a significant shift in public sentiment towards crime and law enforcement. After years of progressive reforms aimed at defunding the police, voters across the country have shown a clear preference for bolstering law enforcement and imposing stricter crime measures.
Betsy Brantner Smith, a retired police sergeant and spokesperson for the National Police Association, observed, “We are seeing a huge shift post-election now in legislation propositions – even candidates who rejected defunding, they rejected decriminalization, they rejected decarceration.”
In California, the electorate’s frustration with rising crime rates was evident. Voters ousted progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón and approved Proposition 36, which seeks to increase penalties for certain crimes. This move reverses parts of Proposition 47, which had downgraded many thefts to misdemeanors. Critics, however, argue that these measures are part of a broader conservative strategy to roll back criminal justice reforms.
Michael Cardoza, a legal analyst, noted that the election results were a clear message from voters: “We don’t want the liberal approach.”
The trend was not limited to California. In Colorado, voters approved Proposition 128, requiring inmates to serve a higher percentage of their sentences before parole eligibility, and Proposition 130, which allocates $350 million to law enforcement funding. These measures faced opposition from groups who labeled them as “outdated, punitive, and costly approaches to public safety.”
Arizona voters also made their voices heard by passing Proposition 314, which criminalizes illegal border crossings at the state level. Betsy Brantner-Smith believes this will boost morale among law enforcement and border patrol agents, stating, “We’re going to see this shift in morale, and that is going to bring recruitment numbers back up.”
In Dallas, Texas, voters approved measures to increase police funding and hold the city accountable for enforcing laws. “We saw in the city of Dallas even, which is kind of a progressive area in a very red state… passed two propositions, bringing some power back to the city government in their ability to allow police to do their jobs,” Brantner-Smith remarked.
Despite these developments, Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector, cautions that the shift might not be permanent. “All the progress that’s been made is going to go right back down the tubes, and we’ll be right back where we were,” he warned, highlighting the potential for a single controversial incident to reverse the current trend.
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