Police – Defund or Defend? Summer 2021 Looms

“Defund the Police” defined Democrats in 2020. Most Americans opposed the idea. Today, more oppose the idea. Democrats continue cutting. We have begun to see what happens – crime spikes. This summer, expect crime to jump. Watch the divide – defund or defend? – get deeper.

Fact: An April 2021 poll, taken just a week after officer Dereck Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, found 62 percent of Americans oppose defunding police. See Poll: 62 Percent of Registered Voters Oppose Defunding Police

Fact: In June 2020, fewer Americans – 57 percent – opposed defunding the police. So, today more differ defunding than a year ago. See Poll: Voters oppose ‘Defund the Police’ but back major reforms

Fact: The divide was – and remains – partisan, even if more Americans oppose defunding police in 2021. Thus, the April poll found 87 percent of Republicans opposed cutting police, while 54 percent of Democrats favor defunding. Nevertheless, in some cities, citizens are nearly apoplectic.

In Portland, Oregon, 75 percent now say do not “defund” police.

Fact: What was theoretical in 2020 is getting real in 2021. This year, “the 50 largest U.S. cities reduced their 2021 police budgets by 5.2 percent in aggregate,” many in the context of broader cuts. See, Cities Say They Want to Defund the Police. Their Budgets Say Otherwise.

Fact: While some Democrats argue these cuts are not deep enough, for many cities, they are radical.

Thus, Austin, Texas saw a 33.3 percent slash in police, New York and Minneapolis both 14.8 percent, Seattle 11.2 percent, and Denver 9.8 percent. Democrats control these police budgets. San Francisco diverted $60 million, while Los Angeles cut $150 million.

Fact: Not surprisingly, when you cut police deterrence and response, crime goes wild. That is happening in these cities. The crime was high last year, as “defund” signals were sent.

See, e.g., List of Cities Defunding the Police | Surge in Crime This year, to the dismay of residents, homicides are spiking – as tone-deaf Democrats keep cutting. Thus, a recent triple murder in Austin last week put homicides 53 percent above a year ago. Compared to 2019, Austin’s murders are 189 percent higher. See, e.g., After This Weekend’s Triple Homicide, Austin’s 2021 Murders 53% Above Last Year

Fact: Year-to-date homicides in Minneapolis for 2021 are double 2020. See, With violent crime up in 2021, Minneapolis leaders search for solutions

Homicides, and crimes like auto theft, are up in New York over 2020. See, Major crimes in NYC jumped 2.4% during March on heels of murder, auto theft spikes: NYPD

Fact: Homicides in Seattle hit a 26-year high in 2020, and by May 2021, 20 percent of the Seattle police force, 260 officers, had quit as the department was defunded and demoralized. See, Seattle had ‘highest number of murders in 26 years’ in 2020; and Nearly 20 Percent Of Seattle Police Force Quits Following Defunding And Black Lives Matter Riots

Fact: Denver homicides are up in May over prior months and up for 2021 over 2020, a near-record year. See Homicide 2021 crime report. Murders plague San Francisco and Los Angeles as of May 2021, the latter seeing a 40 percent spike. See, e.g., San Francisco police investigate 3rd homicide within 24 hours; Los Angeles seeing spike in homicides in 2021 so far

All this is prelude, as deeper police cuts kick in over dozens of Democrat-controlled cities this summer. With or without riots, analysts predict Summer 2021 could be among the worst. The nation will have fewer police to deter and respond as recruiting falls and retirements accelerate.

For reference, summers often trigger crime spikes, but this one could be a scorcher, as predictions of runaway crime are starting to be the norm.

See, e.g., Crime experts fear summer 2021 violence could be worse than last year as shooting, murder uptick starts early; “Summer 2021 is Going to be Abnormally Violent” as Murders Continue to Rise; Police in cities across America are bracing for a “Summer of Violence”.

Kicker:

Congressional Democrats – up for election in 2022 – are beginning to see what they wrought. They are back-pedaling, hard-pressed to extinguish the anti-police fire they started – and the crime wave for which they bear responsibility.

Last week, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) urged Democrats to reverse course, dropping their defund police” mantra or pay in 2022. He is probably too late, but arrogance is another “hobgoblin of small minds,” and few will listen. See, e.g., DCCC Head’s Suggestion to Abandon “Defund the Police” for 2022 Could Hurt Dems

What is more, major law enforcement figures are now linking dots – for those who missed the connection: Defunding police produces runaway crime; those responsible for one bear responsibility for the other. See, As crime surges across the US, liberal cities are seeing the ‘consequences’ of Defund the Police: Bratton

Some realities are hard to escape – once they find you. Violent crime in cities that rioted, signaled antipathy for police, and began defunding are learning the hard way – that burner is hot.

This summer will provide actual proof – that you can either “defund or defend,” but you cannot do both, and the difference will become increasingly evident by 2022.