This really is a crime

Rising crime rates were a problem across the country in the early 1990s. There was a particular focus on New York City, where some neighborhoods were threatening to become unlivable. The response was a rethinking of law enforcement, which produced dramatic results. Many attribute New York’s crime reduction to specific “get-tough” policies carried out by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s administration. The most prominent of his policy changes was the aggressive policing of lower-level crimes, a policy that has been dubbed the “broken windows” approach to law enforcement. Within a decade, New York City had become the safest big city in the country. These results did not go unnoticed. Soon, other cities began to adopt similar approaches, which again produced favorable results. Clearly, the New York City experience was not a fluke. Still, the “broken windows” approach had its critics. Broken windows policing has sometimes become associated with zealotry, which has led critics to suggest that it encourages discriminatory behavior. It neglects underlying social and economic factors, such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of education, which are known to be important contributors to criminal behavior. Put another way, it emphasized punishment–leading to an increase in incarcerations–rather than rehabilitation. Some campaigns, such as Black Lives Matter, have called for an end to broken windows policing. In many places, they have been successful.

A new approach came to be associated with reducing incarceration. They included the “dumbing down” of penalties. What once were felonies came to be treated as misdemeanors. Some acts, technically illegal, were not being prosecuted at all. Social workers were expected to replace the police on certain types of calls, particularly those involving domestic disturbances and issues involving people exhibiting symptoms of mental illness. In some cases, police forces were defunded. Almost invariably, they were sharply criticized. The use of cash bail was restricted to those charged with especially serious crimes. George Soros, the Hungarian billionaire, was attracted to this approach and used some of his extensive fortune to finance the campaigns of District Attorneys in jurisdictions across the U.S. He intervened in Fairfax County elections, supporting Steve Descano, who was first elected as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax in 2019. Descano has aggressively pursued these policies, as have his counterparts elsewhere in the country.

We are beginning to see the results of the Soros approach. Crime rates have been rising in most major cities. In Fairfax County for calendar year 2022, crimes against persons (assaults, sexual offenses etc.) increased by 11.5%; crimes against property (various categories of theft, vandalism, etc.) rose by 19.9%; and crimes against society (drug charges, weapons law violations, etc.) were up by 7.6%. Apparently, trends like these are continuing. According to ABC News7, shoplifting through early July 2023 increased 41.7% over the already elevated 2022 numbers. The losses incurred by merchants are having an effect. Some store entrances are being sealed, so that people can be better observed, as they leave. Items, previously available, are now under lock and key. Some stores are now operating under reduced hours; some are limiting self-check-out to 20 items or less. Store personnel are receiving “de-escalation” training. Who do you think is really paying for all of this? Police morale has taken a hit with this “soft on crime” approach, and recruiting is difficult. County police are understaffed by 200 officers. Sadly, we know how to control this kind of criminal behavior. The New York City experience taught us that.

Steve Descano is running unopposed in November, but what about those running for the County Board of Supervisors, the state senate, and state house? Republicans generally oppose his policies; Democrats support them. Do you know how these candidates stand on the policies he is pursuing?

(Photo above, Steve Descano, Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney)