Americans approved a slew of new anti-crime ballot measures in Tuesday’s election as voters responded to continued crime in their own backyards.
Ballot measures to crack down on crime in Arizona, Colorado and California all passed by wide margins, multiple sources said. Heading into Election Day, 75% of voters said crime was very or somewhat important to their decisions at the polls, according to a Gallup poll released Oct. 9.
Proposition 36 increases penalties for retail theft and drug possession, In California, it passed with support from 70% of voters, according to the Associated Press. The initiative would effectively overturn 2014’s Proposition 47, lowering penalties for retail theft to $950 or less, lowering penalties for certain drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, and significantly hampering crime enforcement efforts. are. According to For countermeasures.
The 2014 law was criticized by opponents as a failure after the state experienced an explosion in retail theft. In 2023, robberies increased by 3.8% and shoplifting increased by about 40% compared to 2019. According to to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Violent crime also continued to increase in the state by 15.4% over the same period. (Watch The Daily Caller’s documentary “Rigged” here)
Voters vote at Lucky Shoals Park Recreation Center on November 5, 2024 in Norcross, Georgia. (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
Colorado requires those convicted of certain violent crimes, such as second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree felony kidnapping, and sexual assault, to serve at least 85% of their sentence in order to be eligible for parole. Residents voted on Prop. 128 to mandate it. Raise the threshold from 75%, According to to the Colorado State Legislature. The bill had 62% support as of Friday. According to To AP.
Colorado Proposition 130 allocates $350 million to the state’s various police departments through the Colorado Department of Public Safety. According to to the Colorado State Legislature. This money must be used to increase salaries, boost recruitment, and hire police officers in high-crime areas. The bill passed with 53% approval, according to the Associated Press.
Violent crime decreased in Colorado in 2023, but levels remain above pre-2019 COVID-19 pandemic levels. According to State crime data. Property crimes, including theft, robbery, and motor vehicle theft, also continue to remain above 2019 levels.
The state’s crime problem received national attention in August when gangs from Venezuela took over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, where they carried out illegal activities unhindered.
Colorado also passed the First Amendment, which removes the right to bail in first-degree murder cases where a conviction is likely. According to to the state legislature. The amendment passed with 69% support, according to the Associated Press.
In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 313, which: around it As of Friday, it had 64% support. need Those convicted of child sex trafficking face life in prison. With 63% support, voters in the state also approved Proposition 314, which strengthens a number of laws related to illegal immigration and fentanyl, including giving state and local police the power to arrest illegal immigrants outside ports of entry.
Illegal border crossings are particularly common in Arizona, with the highest number of encounters occurring this year in the Tucson area of the state. According to to Customs and Border Protection statistics. Arizona is a human trafficking hotspot, with 318 victims identified in 180 cases in 2023. According to Go to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
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