America’s most liberal cities and states have shifted their policies to the right in recent elections, as crime and homelessness remain major issues in Democratic strongholds.

Left-wing policies in blue states like California and Colorado and cities like Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland were rejected by voters last week, who passed anti-crime ballot measures and ousted liberal district attorneys and mayors. . Policies supported by voters include tougher drug penalties, tougher prosecution of criminals by district attorneys, and increased funding for law enforcement.

“I think people are realizing that cutting millions of dollars from local police department budgets is not a good idea. [and] “It’s not a good idea to publish a list of crimes that you no longer plan to prosecute,” Heritage Foundation senior fellow Zach Smith told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “And what you’re seeing is that politicians who were publicly supporting these positions are starting to roll back some of their previous most radical policies.”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was re-elected by a wide margin, fending off a challenge from left-wing candidate Ryan Kojuste, who worked for former District Attorney Chesa Boudin. According to to multiple sauce. Boudin faced widespread criticism for being too lenient on crime and was recalled in 2022.

Boudin banned all cash bail in 2020, saying it disproportionately targets racial minorities. According to To San Francisco Gate. The policy was strongly opposed by the San Francisco Police Officers Association, which said San Franciscans “will pay a heavy price for it.”

Mr. Jenkins has been praised for his tougher crime policies than his predecessor, and will now serve his first full four-year term.

In 2023, Jenkins increased the city’s annual number of convicts for the first time in eight years. According to For city data. Many indicators of crime in San Francisco decreased in 2023, with homicides down 7% from 2022, burglary/larceny down 11%, and rape down 7.2%. According to Data from the San Francisco Police Department.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled by a whopping 25 points in the early November election. Crime in the county skyrocketed under Price’s administration, with auto thefts more than doubling in 2023, robberies increasing by 19%, burglaries increasing by 14% and thefts totaling less than $200 increasing by 31%. According to Go to county statistics.

Mr Price vowed to reduce juvenile conviction rates and stop “over-criminalizing young people”. According to on her campaign platform. The same year she took office, juvenile crime plagued the city, and police arrested suspects involved in as many as 20 robberies. According to Coming to CBS News in May 2023.

Under Price’s leadership, the prison population has plummeted, reaching levels not seen since 2003. According to Additionally, Price failed to provide a lawyer sent by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom to assist in prosecuting drug crimes, which led to Newsom rescinding the offer. Additionally, presentations used by Price’s office to train victim-witness advocates taught that “the meat-eating state arose from chattel slavery” and that there is racial bias in criminal justice. He repeatedly insisted.

Oakland Mayor Shen Tao was also recalled along with Price, losing by a wide margin to his bid to continue as mayor. According to In the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland Police Officers Association President Huy Nguyen told the Daily Caller News Foundation that managing the Oakland Police Department under her leadership would be like “trying to keep a patient alive in intensive care.” That’s what he said.

Tao reduced the number of sworn officers in the Oakland Police Department from 728 starting in 2022 to 678 as of August. Oakland has been without a police chief for nearly a year since Thao fired Rulon Armstrong for alleged misconduct during an investigation into a hit-and-run involving a police car and an officer firing a deadly weapon. An arbitrator’s report cleared Armstrong of wrongdoing in September 2023. According to NBC to Bay Area.

citywide crime report According to the December 2023 study, auto thefts increased by 44% over the year, robberies increased by 38%, violent crimes increased by 21%, and overall crime increased by 17%. Voters accused Thao of ignoring the city’s crime and homelessness problems while touting improvements. According to In the LA Times.

“Progressives in Oakland did the same thing they did in San Francisco. They ignored crime. They ignored poverty,” Seneca Scott, a spokesperson for Recall Shentao, told the LA Times. Ta. “They need to look at themselves.”

“The overall trend is toward more common-sense crime policies, putting more police officers on the streets, empowering them to do their jobs responsibly, and district attorneys actually prosecuting crimes. ,” Smith told DCNF. “And what a lot of people are realizing is that being a law-and-order district attorney doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone goes to prison for their first nonviolent crime. I think so.”

The city of Portland, Oregon, recently ousted Mayor Ted Wheeler in favor of Keith Wilson, who easily won a ranked election. According to To the Associated Press. Wheeler took office in 2017, advocating for improvements to anti-homelessness programs, housing options and a host of other left-wing policies. According to Since 2017, Portland’s homeless population has increased from 4,015 people in 2017 to 6,297 people in 2023. According to To the homeless support organization Do Good Multnomah.

Wheeler tried to set things right on the go, signing into law in May a ban on homeless camping that could result in fines or jail time for homeless people who refuse to shelter. According to to Oregon Public Broadcasting. However, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said it does not allow the use of the county jail for law enforcement.

Mr. Wilson’s campaign addressed the issue of insufficient police resources. promising Supporting “overburdened” police forces by protecting homeless people in custody. He also cited his experience with homeless advocacy nonprofit Shelter Portland to reduce public drug use in his administration’s first year by creating more “emergency” homeless shelters to reduce street encampments. He promised to end use and homelessness.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon lost his seat to independent challenger Nathan Hockman by a 20-point margin. According to For an unofficial tally. Hockman takes office as the city faces a rash of crimes and overall violence rates are above pre-pandemic levels. According to to FBI data.

During his time in office, Gascón faced intense criticism for his leniency in prosecuting criminals. When he took office, he promised not to pursue the death penalty, not to try minors as adults, and not to impose life sentences without parole. According to Go to bolt magazine. (Watch The Daily Caller’s documentary “Rigged” here)

For example, Mr. Gascón did not seek the death penalty for the murderer of Los Angeles Police Department officer Ryan Clinkan-Bloomer. The convicted murderer reportedly called Gascón a “champion” in 2022 because his charges did not include gang membership or firearm enhancements. Violent crime in Los Angeles also increased by 12% from 2021 to 2023, and property crime increased by 15%. According to To CalMatters.

“This is primarily a vote for Gascón,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of IGS polling at the University of California, Berkeley. said LA Times in November. “Mr. Hochman is another candidate in this race and is in the fortunate position of running against an unpopular incumbent.”

Tough-on-crime voting measures also won decisive victories at the polling stations.

California voters at large passed Proposition 36, increasing penalties for retail theft and drug possession. The measure effectively overturned 2014’s Proposition 47, which lowered drug possession fines while downgrading theft of less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. In 2023, robberies increased by 3.8% and shoplifting increased by approximately 40% in California compared to 2019. According to to the Public Policy Institute of California.

colorado passed Proposition 128 would require those guilty of certain violent crimes, including 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. and raise the standard from 75%. . Voters too passed Proposition 130 allocated $350 million to the state’s various police departments through the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Additionally, Colorado has voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would remove the right to bail in first-degree murder cases where a conviction is likely. According to to the state legislature.

In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 313. need Those convicted of child sex trafficking face life in prison. Proposition 314 also passed, strengthening numerous laws regarding illegal immigration and fentanyl, including giving state and local police the power to arrest illegal immigrants outside ports of entry.

In addition to local and state elections, the recent presidential election also saw a major swing toward President Trump and the Republican Party.

Compared to 2020, San Diego County shifted 7 points, Los Angeles County 14 points, and Fresno County 16 points toward President-elect Donald Trump. According to In the San Francisco Chronicle. Most Latino voters pushed to the right.

Trump won by 14 points in Nassau County on Long Island, New York, and the former president won by 19 points in Miami-Dade County, Florida. According to In the New York Times. The last time Maimie Dade was won by a Republican candidate was in 1988. According to To CBS.

Price, Gascón and Tao’s offices did not immediately respond to DCNF’s requests for comment.

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