Democrat Mayor Back Peddles On Police Funding After Skyrocketing Crime

Washington D.C., Mayor Bowser has begun to reverse her stance on police reform after crime has skyrocketed in the capitol city.

Following the death of George Floyd and the rise of the BLM protests, Mayor Bowser worked in support of the BLM mission of radical police reform.

In an ironic twist, Mayor Bowser calls for more support for the police officers so they can protect D.C.

NEW🚨: DC Mayor Bowser is expected to unveil new tough-on-crime package at 11a | Per @axios | Details include:

-Stiffer penalties for retail theft
-Outlaw wearing a mask while committing a crime
-Revising definition of a police chokehold
https://t.co/d7Dw2LxsSn

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) October 23, 2023

Fox News shares more on the story:

Bowser said the new legislation proposal aims to address “current crime trends,” saying some of the changes “are just plain common sense.”

The ACT Act aims to combat organized retail theft, address loitering around open-air drug markets and make it unlawful to use masks for committing criminal acts.

“Under the new law, it will be illegal for any person to organize a theft for profit scheme by recruiting or directing other individuals to commit organized retail theft. We are also reinstating the law that makes it unlawful for to wear a mask for the purpose of committing criminal acts or threatening people or causing fear. Obviously, our community’s relationship around wearing masks has changed significantly since 2020, and thank God for that,” she said, referring to thieves in ski masks who frequently rob businesses at gunpoint.

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A law that makes it illegal to wear a mask while committing a crime.

I’m not sure criminals will care about that, but I suppose it’s more charges to stack on these criminals.

Axios says the Mayor of DC is u-turning on Police reform. She’s had it and is now going to crack down on retail theft and druggies.

— MissionLoco (@MissionLoco) October 23, 2023

As DC crime continues to rise, Mayor Bowser introduces #ActNowDC legislation

It focuses on policy “that supports our police officers and allows them to protect our community and make DC safer.” – Bowser @WUSA9

Now, it’s up to the DC Council… https://t.co/0yHGH91ElZ pic.twitter.com/DhLa53L4YV

— Lorenzo Hall (@LorenzoHall) October 23, 2023

It took far too long for Mayor Bowser to realize that the George Floyd era of police reform destroyed so many cities.

Many of these reforms completely stripped police of their power to do anything about specific crimes, particularly theft.

There is a reason you see so many large retailers closing down their stores around Democrat-run cities.

Bloomberg covers more on the story:

Still another provision of the bill targets organized retail crime, making it a felony to shoplift more than $1,000 in merchandise or to steal 10 or more items worth at least $250 over a 30-day period. The bill also spells out first-degree penalties for fencing stolen goods or engaging in return fraud. DC officials strove to distinguish between shoplifting a bag of chips and sweeping whole sections of high-dollar goods such as deodorant or detergent. The bill would direct the mayor’s office to study the decriminalization of street vending under the DC Council’s Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act, another progressive legislative reform to reduce barriers and fines for informal street vendors who sell fruit, crafts, bottled water and — in some cases — stolen retail goods.

“People in our city are sick and tired of it,” Bowser said at a press conference on Monday, referring to retail theft. “People want great businesses in their neighborhoods, they want to go to stores and restaurants. And they don’t want to have to worry about those businesses being robbed repeatedly and brazenly.”

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Mayor Bowser, you are correct that people are sick and tired of this.

I hope many of these businesses recover from the damage Democrats have done to them.

Between radical police reform and COVID shutting down the country, it’s any wonder how these small businesses stay afloat.

Let us hope that this will be a continued trend of Democrat mayors pulling back from the previous radical police reform that forced many police out of their jobs and allowed criminals to run freely.