The Biden administration said this week that it is making plans to improve law enforcement efforts amid massive spikes in violent crime in most Democrat-run major U.S. cities, but Republican senators see the regime doubling down instead on failed ‘soft on crime’ measures.
Around the country, district attorneys backed by billionaire leftist George Soros have imposed ‘criminal justice reform’ measures that include ignoring a slate of criminal offenses, revoking bail requirements, and seeking dramatically reduced jail terms even for serious and violent offenses. These measures have been widely blamed for the crime spikes, as they empower criminals at the expense of public safety.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged this week that there’s been “a surge [in] crime over the last two years,” going on to say that the “underfunding” of police departments is to blame in part, Just the News reported.
As such, she said, “the Department of Justice has announced $139 million in grants to cities for community policing, which will put 1,000 more officers on the streets.” She added: [Biden has] also proposed doubling those grants, and he’s called for an additional $750 million for federal law enforcement.”
Psaki further alleged that Biden has spent his political career “fighting for funding for police departments” and as president has “offered unprecedented levels of funding” to put “more cops on the beat.”
Biden appeared to agree in comments he made last week as well.
“We shouldn’t be cutting funding for police departments,” he told a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “I propose increasing funding.”
However, as Just the News notes:
…[E]ven as Biden attempts to shore up his anti-crime credentials, his Justice Department is awarding ostensible crime-reduction grants to activist groups linked to the soft-on-crime policies of George Soros-funded district attorneys that, critics argue, have helped fuel a violent crime explosion in major, Democrat-controlled cities.
Moreover, GOP senators are decrying a purported draft executive order leaked earlier this month exposing an impending White House police reform initiative that includes measures supported by the “defund the police” movement. The reported leak came as congressional efforts on police reform stalled.
“The purported order would ban common equipment used by local law enforcement officers that, according to the draft text, contributes to the ‘militarization’ of police forces,” the outlet’s report continued, citing the draft order.
“Specifically, the order as written would ban most drones, long-range acoustic devices, and armored cars. It would also prevent police departments from purchasing flash or stun grenades — nonlethal tools used to disorient suspects.”
The Biden order would also prevent local police agencies from accessing federal grant money if they refuse to comply with many of its provisions, which include “supporting alternatives to arrest and incarceration” as well as encouraging more ‘diversity.’
GOP senators led by Charles Grassley of Iowa, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking member, all signed a letter to Biden last week chastising him for the order.
“These hard-left policies are extremely ill-advised, dangerous to Americans, and would only further demoralize law enforcement,” the letter stated. “We are baffled as to why this administration would want to implement this [order], which is tantamount to defunding the police.”
So far, the administration hasn’t confirmed the existence of the draft, but it certainly sounds like something this White House would both recommend and support, given its deference to the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faction of the party.
“At least 13 cities broke their homicide records in 2021 — all 13 are run by Democratic mayors. In cities such as Los Angeles and California, theft and looting have devastated local businesses. A record number of police officers were also killed on duty last year. According to the Fraternal Order of Police, ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers spiked 115%,” Just the News reported.
