So, imagine this, when you lose law enforcement personnel, and reduce penalties for crime, you get more of it. I mean, who would have ever thought of that?
Yet as simple as that seems to most of us, it apparently has caught the State of California, and many liberals, completely by surprise. We're also seeing similar shock in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and other places that have "defunded" and/or villainized the police. When you make them the enemy, no one wants to do it anymore.
Why are they shocked? I'm not completely sure, but somehow they manage it.
Let's go with Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department in California as a proof of principle. Their budget was slashed by $145 million in 2021 which cost them 1,130 out of around 11,000 positions. Now the county wants to cut an additional $143 million, or 77 police officers. This has led to an increase of work on the remaining employees, and the result has been as predicable as you could imagine.
"Murders in the county have spiked by 95.24% so far this year compared to the same time in 2020, while the department also saw increases of 40.11% in grand theft auto, 22.40% in arson, 12.94% in aggravated assault and 7.82% in forcible rape." Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
Now, on top of that, 440 additional personnel have left on their own just since April, which is over half of what they usually lose in a full year, and 308 of those were law enforcement deputies. Yes, that's ON TOP of the other cuts, and these resignations have come in only two months. That's over 1,570 personnel with 77 possibly coming still.
The result? The violent crime statistics have risen over 38% in 2021 over 2020, and 2020 was already up over 2019.
So why would anyone continue to live in a place where they increasingly have to protect themselves while paying some of the highest costs of living AND taxes? The simple answer is that they won't, and so you're seeing a massive emigration from California, Oregon, New York, and other blue states who cannot keep their people safe. Yet those same people are the ones who voted for the people who have done this, and have re-elected them despite the rising numbers.
Yes, you read that right. They saw crime going up, they kept voting for the same people despite seeing it go up, and now are moving out because of that same crime because they don't see those people as being able to handle it. Yet, if they were to vote again today, they would still vote for the same people that have allowed this to happen.
It's pure and utter madness.
When you put violent criminals back on the streets due to bail reform, and release inmates from prison because of "disproportionate arrests" and "overcrowding," you stop arresting people for "minor crimes" that continue to move up the criminal ladder, and at the same time you reduce and/or eliminate the people who are supposed to prevent it and police it, what else can you expect by an absolute crime wave.
When you put drug dealers back on the street and reduce drug cops, you get more drugs in your city.
When you put violent criminals back on the street and reduce the neighborhood police presence, you get more violent attacks in your city.
This idea that people are all basically good and that if you just reduce the police militancy in their cities that they'll calm down and act right has proven itself to be false on it's face. It was a farce, it is a farce, and it always will be a farce.
I'm all for leniency for first time offenders or for minor charges that aren't repeated. Yet that's not who they are releasing. They're letting out rapists, murders, assaulters, drug dealers, and so many other violent gang members that the prisons have become revolving doors. AND STILL someone thought it was a good idea to reduce the number of law enforcement personnel.
Sorry, but the proof is in the pudding, and if we have to go through this for the social workers to effect change through "softer means," then the price for those "softer means" is too high. It's time to put the police back on the streets.
Let's hope we haven't scared people off from the job for good.
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