Per President Biden-The Progressive Crime Movement Is Dead

Highlights

Violent crime and fear of crime are rapidly rising. Violent criminals have little fear of being caught or held accountable.

“Biden has nevertheless, quietly, been elected on the most progressive criminal justice platform of any major party candidate in generations.”

“President Biden said that Tuesday’s primary results in California, Mississippi and other states sent a message that voters want leaders who will take a tough stance on crime.”

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President Biden’s crime policies throughout the decades are causing political whiplash. He was once known as a “tough on crime” politician. What’s below are a variety of comments made by candidate and President Biden:

Past Comments-Give Me The Crime Issue

“Give me the crime issue … and you’ll never have trouble with it in an election,” Biden was said to have begged party leadership.

Biden disapproved of Reagan’s plan to scale back funding for crime-fighting, complaining in October 1981 about inadequate money to combat drug trafficking.  Biden had joined with some of his Republican colleagues to offer the administration more money to spend on crime. Biden excoriated what he dubbed the White House’s “budgeteers” for the paltry funding being offered to the FBI. “You are cutting not only the muscle, but the bone,” he told the attorney general.

Then we had the infamous statement during the presidential election about cutting the prison population in half.

Past Comments-Candidate Biden-Cut Prisons By Half

“During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to end private prisons, cash bail, mandatory-minimum sentencing and the death penalty. Candidate Biden also said the U.S. could reduce its prison population by more than half. While he didn’t put forward as progressive or as detailed a platform as many of his competitors for the Democratic nomination (including his running mate Kamala Harris), Biden has nevertheless, quietly, been elected on the most progressive criminal justice platform of any major party candidate in generations,” The Marshall Project.

But by now, political realities have set in as progressive Democrats have lost election after election after being seen as soft on crime as violence skyrockets and fear of crime is at all time highs.

Past Comments-Leaked Audio-NBC News (edited quotes)

President-elect Joe Biden appeared to blame the “defund the police” movement for contributing to surprising Democratic down-ballot losses during the presidential election, telling civil rights leaders this week that they should proceed carefully on criminal justice issues.

“That’s how they beat the living hell out of us across the country, saying that we’re talking about defunding the police. We’re not. We’re talking about holding them accountable,” Biden said Tuesday in a virtual meeting with civil rights leaders, according to audio excerpts posted Thursday in a podcast from The Intercept.

Biden pledged that he would follow through on his promises to address systemic racism, but he warned about getting “too far ahead of ourselves.”

“We can go very far. It matters how we do it. I think it matters how we do it,” Biden said.

Even as Democrats have said criminal justice reform legislation should be a priority once Biden takes office, the audio reveals how some civil rights leaders want Biden to use his executive authority to take significant steps, like creating a national database of police misconduct.

The Biden transition team did not dispute the authenticity of the leaked audio, NBC News.

Current Comments-The Hill-Newspaper Of Congress (edited for brevity)

President Biden said that Tuesday’s primary results in California, Mississippi and other states sent a message that voters want leaders who will take a tough stance on crime.

“I think the voters sent a clear message last night. Both parties have to step up and do something about crime, as well as gun violence,” Biden told reporters on Wednesday before boarding Air Force One to travel to California.

He called on states and localities to spend billions of dollars allocated in the American Rescue Plan “to hire police officers and reform the police departments.”

“Very few have done it,” he said.

The president held an event at the White House last month to call on mayors and local leaders to use funds from the American Rescue Plan to bulk up police forces and safety programs ahead of the summer months.

“In addition to that, I sent Congress a request for $300 million in this year’s budget to deal with hiring costs,” he said on Wednesday.

Biden has consistently pushed for more funding for police departments, distinguishing his policies against some progressives’ calls to “defund” the police.

On Tuesday in San Francisco, where residents have faced rising crime, District Attorney Chesa Boudin (D) was booted out of office in a recall election by a 20-point margin. Boudin is one of the most progressive top prosecutors in the country and advanced a more lenient approach to crime, The Hill.

Conclusions

The President seems conflicted as to crime policy. He was once a tough on crime Senator. Then he became one of the most progressive crime politicians in America during the election. He has now issued two statements during his presidency suggesting that he’s back to being a traditional anti-crime Democrat.

Per his latest comment, he states that voters want leaders who will take a tough stance on crime. It seems that the “progressive” stance on crime is dead.

The President called on states and localities to spend billions of dollars allocated in the American Rescue Plan “to hire police officers and reform the police departments.”

“Very few have done it,” he said.

Over 12,000 local police officers and employees have left their jobs per the Bureau of Labor Statistics since 2019. Per separate BLS charts, there was an additional loss of 1,361 state police employees. Law enforcement agencies throughout the country are stating that they don’t have enough police officers to respond to 911 calls. Thousands more are rumored to be in the process of leaving.

If thousands of cops are bailing, and recruitment is down considerably per the Police Executive Research Forum, why would the President blame local government for not hiring more? The issue doesn’t seem to be a matter of money. It seems to be the fact that police officers no longer want the job after many years of intense criticism.

There’s little that the President said about cops and crime that is providing anyone with a sense of confidence. Violence is rising rapidly. Fear of crime is at an all-time high.

Per polling numbers regarding the President’s handling of the crime issue, many believe that he and progressives are responsible for their own political dilemma. They’ve become their own worst enemies. He seems to admit as much per coverage in “The Hill.”

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