Reality bites Liberals and crime spikes – The Economist
AFTER THE sweet tea was poured but before the tomato soup arrived, in the middle of a crowded restaurant, Bill White lifted his shirt-tail to reveal the rubberised grip of a .38 revolver. Everyones got one these days, he says. Over lunch, he and two other residents of Buckhead, the wealthy northern section of Atlanta, swap stories: packs of cars blocking intersections for illegal street races, would-be thieves casing houses, neighbours too frightened to leave their homes. Lenox Square, an upscale mall, installed metal detectors after a spate of shootings. Mr White is head of fundraising for the Buckhead Exploratory Committeea group of residents who have organised to push for Buckheads independence from Atlanta, driven, he explains, by three factors: crime, crime and crime.
Your browser does not support the
Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.
As of May 16th, murders were up by 59% in Atlanta compared with the same period in 2020. Rapes, aggravated assaults and thefts from and of cars are also well above levels in 2020. Nor is this just an Atlanta problem. Nationally, the spike in murders that began in 2020according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, homicides in American cities rose by 33% from 2019 to 2020shows no sign of abating. This is a problem first, of course, for the people living in the neighbourhoods where much of this violence takes place. But it also poses a problem for advocates of criminal-justice reform, who made great strides in the 2010s, when violent crime was falling. Convincing people to back lighter sentences and decrease their reliance on police when murders are rising may prove more difficult.
The reasons why murder rates are on the rise nationally remain unclear. In fact criminologists are still debating why crime fell in the 1990s and 2000s. The pandemic closed schools and other institutions, leaving young people unoccupied and anxious. Police who might otherwise have been deployed to high-crime neighbourhoods or investigative duty were assigned to respond to protests. Gun sales soared, and many faced financial hardships and other stresses. But violent-crime rates were rising, albeit more slowly than over the past 14 months, even before the covid-19 epidemic began, beginning in 2014.
Whatever the reason, homicides can be sticky, says John Pfaff of Fordham University in New York. A shooting in March can lead to a subsequent shooting in July, when retaliation comes up. In other words, even if the pandemic is partly responsible for the homicide spike, any post-pandemic decline may well be gradual.
As a result, crime now has a political salience that it has not had in years. A poll released last month showed crime was the second-most-important issue (behind covid-19) for Democrats in New York, who will choose a mayoral candidate in a primary on June 22nd. Eric Adams, a former police officer who has recently defended the use of stop-and-frisk tactics and made public safety the centre of his campaign, leads in some polls. Jenny Durkan, Seattles mayor, has faced criticism from both the right and left over her handling of the citys police-free autonomous zone and tactics used by police against protesters; she will not seek another term. Chesa Boudin, San Franciscos district attorney, faces a recall campaign, driven by the perception that he is too soft on crime. Crime has become central in the race to succeed Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlantas mayor, who also unexpectedly declined to seek a second term.
But before she leaves office, she plans to hire another 250 police officers. Other cities have taken a similar approach. Minneapolis, where a majority of the city council voted last year to defund and disband the police department, will spend $6.4m to hire new officers. While president of Baltimores city council, Brandon Scott championed a measure to cut the police departments budget by $22.4m; since taking office last December as mayor, he has proposed increasing it by $28m. Oakland will soon restore most of the $29m it cut from the police budget last year.
Such reversals testify more to the political than the budgetary costs of criminal-justice reform. But that does not mean reform is doomed, or that all voters will reject all reform-minded candidates. Last month Tishaura Jones was elected mayor of St Louis on a platform that included reducing reliance on police and closing one of the citys prisons. In a primary race on May 18th, Larry Krasner, Philadelphias crusading district attorney, trounced his police-union-backed opponent. On that same day, Ed Gainey, running on a reformist platform, defeated Bill Peduto in a primary election. He is poised to become Pittsburghs first black mayor.
Still, blame-mongering for violence is an effective cudgel for conservative state-level politicians to wield against liberal cities. Brian Kemp, Georgias Republican governor, is making Atlanta crime central to his re-election campaignthe better to win back Trump-hesitant Republicans in the citys suburbs. Florida has passed a law that lets the governor and his cabinet reverse any changes to cities police budgets that they deem unwise. Other states have proposed (and Texas has passed) measures cutting off funds to cities that slash police budgets. Unlike states, which the Tenth Amendment protects against federal overreach, cities are subsidiary creations of the state, and have no legal shield against these sorts of pre-emptive measures.
Reformers will have to change how they pitch their ideas. They cannot simply make a moral case. The impetus that led conservative and liberal states alike to reduce their prison populations in recent years was largely to save money. And, as Mr Pfaff notes, homicides are up nationwide, so if rising violent-crime rates indict reform in liberal cities, they must also indict the status quo in more conservative areas that have not pursued reform.
The rise in violence just makes everything related to these debates over how to reform policing and how to deal with police violence more difficult, explains Patrick Sharkey, a sociologist at Princeton University. Theres a knee-jerk response because weve been so reliant on police and prisons as the institutions we turn to to deal with violence. Faced with a choice between more and less policing, people frightened of violent crime will rarely choose less.
In fact the choice is not binary. Police play a crucial role in fighting crime and, in the near term, cities may require a more robust police presence than some reformers would like. They do not play the only role, however. A wealth of evidence exists that other institutionsanti-violence non-profits, drug-treatment programmes, summer jobs for young peoplealso help. Politicians who want to reduce violent crime in their cities and states should remember that, just as activists should remember that reform is a harder sell when people do not feel safe. Because, since murders usually rise in the summer, when people are out in the streets until late, safety is unlikely to return soon.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline "Reality bites"
See the original post:
Reality bites Liberals and crime spikes - The Economist
- Liberals call on Labor to concede Tasmanian election but Winter fights back - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- The conservative American talk-show host wiping the floor with liberals - Yahoo Home - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- The conservative American talk-show host wiping the floor with liberals - The Telegraph - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Leftists are determined to date each other - and not settle for liberals: Politics are the new religion - The Guardian - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Liberals and conservatives respond divergently to stereotype portrayals of race and gender - Nature - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Native Americans Were Not The Ones Offended By 'Redskins' Name. White Liberals Were. - OutKick - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Liberals could slip out early from first sitting day to attend party fundraiser - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Small band of independents offer Liberals and Labor a path to power in Tasmania - The Guardian - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Tasmania election: Labor's hopes of governing still alive despite Liberals' five-seat lead - SBS Australia - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Liberals, journalists, and celebs extremely sad over late-night ally Colbert getting the boot from CBS - Fox News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Jeremy Rockliff says he expects crossbenchers will allow Liberals to form government as it happened - The Guardian - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Casey Briggs predicts the Liberals will win the largest number of seats in the Tasmanian parliament - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Liberals easily win most seats at Tasmanian election, but Labor may form government - The Conversation - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The Courts Liberals Are Trying to Tell Americans Something - The Atlantic - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- The Liberals Were Right: Neo-Nazi Turns on Trump Over Epstein - The New Republic - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Letters: White liberals with Trump anxiety, welcome to the world outside your bubble - San Francisco Chronicle - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Fox News Co-Host Says Liberals Should Treat 'Nazi' Like the N-Word - bet.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Bank of Canada, Crown corporations to trim budgets to align with Liberals cost-cutting plans - The Globe and Mail - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Opinion | Why Left-Liberals Are Downplaying Violence In Spain - News18 - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Globe editorial: The Liberals need to show their cost-cutting ambition - The Globe and Mail - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Superman Shows How Far Liberals in Hollywood and Politics Have Veered From Ideal of the American Way - The New York Sun - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Canada's minister of health is an unknown to most, but Liberals call her the 'godmother' - Yahoo - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- VIDEO: Will party infighting harm the Victorian Liberals chance to govern? - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- LIBERALS FAIL ON BAIL: Canadians need to be safe from violent offenders - Toronto Sun - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- In Trump Era, Gender Gap Widens in Tandem With Apparent Mental Health Divide Between Liberals and Conservatives - The New York Sun - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Bluesky liberals celebrate JD Vance being booed with his kids at Disneyland - FOX 8 TV - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- On NPR and at elite universities, liberals should openly admit their biases - The Hill - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Liberals fawn as emotional Tucker Carlson rips Trump for 'ignoring America's biggest problem' - Daily Mail - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Neon Liberalism #34: Are Liberals Losing the Culture War? - Liberal Currents - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Liberals need to test US-style primaries to engage with voters - The Australian - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Conrad Black: Liberals must retreat from their climate obsessions - National Post - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Larry David/Obamas Pairing Shows Why Liberals Win - Hollywood in Toto - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Liberals and conservatives live differently but people think the divide is even bigger than it is - PsyPost - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Liberals Laud Fake Story that ICE Agents Are Resigning In Droves - newsguardrealitycheck.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Letters: Campus life harmed by liberals who believe they're always right - NOLA.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jesse Kline: Liberals get a crash course in the importance of natural resources - Yahoo - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Liberals pick Chantale Marchand to run in Arthabaska byelection - Montreal Gazette - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Justin Ling: Mark Carney is the reincarnation of the Chrtien Liberals. Thats not a bad thing - Toronto Star - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jesse Kline: Liberals get a crash course in the importance of natural resources - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Where are the Liberals When Iran Mass-Deports Millions of Afghans? - The European Conservative - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- The Supreme Courts Liberals Have an Impossible Task. One of Them Is Charting the Way. - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion: The Liberals launch another expenditure review: This time, we mean it - The Globe and Mail - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Liberals could find out soon whether their rushed projects bill will spark another Idle No More - National Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Wealthy White Liberals Reportedly Urge Democrats To Be Willing To Get Shot Opposing Trump - dailycaller.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Albertas PCs Might Rise from the Dead. Not the BC Liberals - The Tyee - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Cryo-liberals are still dishing up deranged delusions - The Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Wealthy White Liberals Reportedly Urge Democrats To Be Willing To Get Shot Opposing Trump - AOL.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Liberals, Conservatives, And Independents Form Initiative To Fight For Democracy And Freedom - thedailypoliticususa.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- How the Liberals are eroding workers Charter-protected rights - Canadian Dimension - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Liberals dont want Muslim women to demand rights in the Hindutva era. Theres no right time - ThePrint - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- New polls show the Liberals opening large lead over the Conservatives - iPolitics - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Another Saturday Night - Liberals Are Patriotic! updated with how to help the central Texas flooding - Daily Kos - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Vancouver has a new civic party the Vancouver Liberals - Business in Vancouver - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Liberals Lose Trust on Health After 11 Years - Mirage News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Newsom warms to building, but will California liberals allow it? - Washington Examiner - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Liberals Are Declaring That The Fourth Of July Is Canceled This Year And Even Threatening To Sue People Who Celebrate For Emotional Damage - Whiskey... - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Peter Menzies: Justin Trudeaus legislative legacy is still haunting the Liberals - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise. - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Opinion | Memo to liberals: Diversity can be conservative - The Washington Post - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Liberals Are Going to Keep Losing at the Supreme Court - The Atlantic - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Hollywood Liberals Slammed as 'Disgusting' for Bleating They Weren't Invited to Jeff Bezos 'Vulgar' Wedding - RadarOnline - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Forget female quotas, its mediocrity thats killing the Liberals - The Australian - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Fatal flaw of liberals is belief that being right is enough | Opinion - The News-Press - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Liberals want Americans to depend on government - Washington Times - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- If old school white-anting Sussan Ley on gender quotas works, the Liberals may pay a heavy political price - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- HUNTER: Have Liberals had their come-to-Jesus moment on crime? - Toronto Sun - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Random Musing: Why some Indian liberals are celebrating Zohran Mamdani and think he is the new Obama - Times of India - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Liberals In California Are Banning Books Again - The Daily Wire - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- 'Liberals need to reconnect with people's deep feelings of being disrespected,' sociologist says - Perspective - France 24 - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Threat of Trump should drive liberals from the middle ground | Opinion - The Portland Press Herald - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- If the Liberals want to appeal again to aspirational Australians, they could start by taxing wealth | Judith Brett - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Weekly Wrap: The Liberals must abandon their internet regulation agenda - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise. - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Data breach may have exposed 200,000 home-care patients' information, say Ontario Liberals - Yahoo - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- M. imeka criticized the Slovak government after the summit of liberals in Brussels for not diversifying gas supplies - European Newsroom - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- ANALYSIS: David Petersons Liberals are remembering the good times. Ontarians should, too - TVO Today - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Carney Liberals urged to ditch DST as Trump terminates trade talks with Canada - Toronto Sun - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Martin Regg Cohn: History reminds Ontarios languishing Liberals that they need to make their own luck - Toronto Star - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Arab Journalists and Liberals Praise U.S. Strike On Iran: The Iranian Threat Is Over; Trump Saved Humanity; God Bless America - MEMRI | Middle East... - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Conservatives report better mental health than liberals. I think I know why. | Opinion - USA Today - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Federal Liberals reintroduce cybersecurity bill meant to protect critical infrastructure - The Globe and Mail - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Threat of Trump should drive liberals from the middle ground | Opinion - Lewiston Sun Journal - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]