Democrats often think they can fix any problem by throwing money at it. They are often wrong. The disconnect is most striking when it comes to crime.
Washington, D.C., has spent millions since 2020 on various crime prevention programs, from community outreach work to jobs programs for high-risk potential offenders. Since 2020, the district has also seen increases in gun crimes, homicides, robberies, assaults, and sex abuse. The crime surge hasn’t peaked yet, either — homicides are up 12% so far this year compared to last, and robberies are up 20%.
Some programs might help on the margins, but many criminals are simply going to be criminals, no matter how many opportunities they are given or how much money is thrown at community programs. It turns out that sometimes, the best way to keep criminals from committing crimes is to keep them behind bars.
According to the Washington Post in 2016, hundreds of violent criminals under the age of 22 who were put back on the streets thanks to the “Youth Rehabilitation Act” went on to rob, rape, or kill residents in the city upon their release. The Washington Post “found a pattern of violent offenders returning rapidly to the streets and committing more crimes” and relayed the unsurprising fact that “hundreds have been sentenced under the act multiple times.”
Police Chief Peter Newsham said the city wasn’t doing enough to deal with repeat gun criminals in 2019. His successor, Robert Contee, said the same in 2021. Violent criminals “might not want a job,” Contee said. “They might not need services. What they may require is to be off of our streets because they’re making it unsafe for us.”
Some criminals can certainly be reformed, but not all of them can. And those who can have little incentive when they can go straight to Democratic cities, where they know they are only risking a slap on the wrist.
Throwing money at community programs or social workers won’t stop repeat violent criminals from being repeat violent criminals. The sooner Democratic cities (and Democratic voters) recognize that, the safer they will be.
