Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Florida. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)
The left’s arguments for the defund the police movement have unraveled as crime skyrockets across the nation. Major media outlet MSNBC faced scrutiny after reportedly claiming police are to blame for rising crime.
MSNBC contributor Brittany Cunningham alleged rising crime was the fault of police and had nothing to do with the defund the police movement. In a statement following the show, Detectives Endowment Association President Paul Digiacomo argued Cunningham’s remarks did not “make common sense” because New York had far less homicides before defunding their police department.
New York State Trooper Thomas Mungeer also weighed in by saying crime upticks over the last year have been from cutting police forces and handcuffing officers from doing their jobs. He asserted there was “no other way to quantify” it.
On Friday, I met with New York City law enforcement officials to discuss the impact of defunding police. In New York, and across our nation, we’ve seen violent crime skyrocket. Coupled with Albany’s disastrous bail reform policies, our communities are becoming less safe. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/FNSptQyB1c
— Rep. John Katko (@RepJohnKatko) June 21, 2021
Cunningham went on to also claim police departments were ineffective at helping people. Her claims were in stark contrast to a Tuesday report, which showed the addition of more NYPD patrols underground has resulted in a decrease in assaults on New York City subways.
Although, with at least 200 U.S. police departments reporting a 45 percent increase in retirement and an 18 percent rise in resignations compared to 2020, officers have hit their breaking point. Sergeant Jake Verhalen from Fulsom County, California weighed in on personnel difficulties by saying he believes rhetoric and policies surrounding the death of George Floyd has been largely responsible for this.
“Some of it has to do with pay and benefits, but I think there is a bigger picture. That being, this public discourse if you will, against the police and some young people perhaps are asking themselves the question is that really a career path that I want to go down”
Meanwhile on the East Coast, former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton has echoed these concerns. Earlier this month, he predicted a steep increase in crime this summer and warned if the left keeps pushing the defund the police movement, streets will not be safe because law enforcement will not have the manpower or resources to protect Americans from criminals.
Source: One America News Network
