By Congressman Markwayne Mullin
It is no secret the Biden Administration and radical Democrats have sought to defund or abolish the police. Our country is now seeing the consequences of their actions.
In Democratic-run cities across the country, defunding the police has resulted in increasing crime rates and less safe communities. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department announced in November that they would cut their budget by $150 million. Seven months later, homicide rates are up 41 percent in Los Angeles. Last summer, New York City officials agreed to take $484 million away from New York Police Department after calls to defund the police overwhelmed the city. Now, reported shootings are up 64 percent compared to this time last year. In Portland, where anarchists have ruled the streets, homicides are up a staggering 533 percent from this time last year.
This is a direct result of the left’s anti-police rhetoric. Yet when he was asked about the recent surges in violent crime in blue cities, President Biden dodged and deflected responsibility, even going so far as to blame law-abiding gun owners for the rise in crime. Just this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused Republicans of wanting to defund the police because they didn’t vote for his trillion-dollar bailout. This blatant lie is another attempt by this Administration to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
Any effort to defund the police sends a dangerous message throughout our country that our laws do not have to be enforced. It also puts the men and women of law enforcement, who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, at risk.
Every day, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. They sacrifice time away from family and friends to serve the public and are always among the first to respond in a crisis. They deserve nothing but our utmost respect and unrelenting support.
