WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding crime:
“As our nation observes Police Week, cities across America continue to grapple with a rising tide of violent crime. And our nation’s capital is no exception.
“This year, Washington has already endured the deadliest first four months of any year in the last decade.
“Motor vehicle theft in the District is already up 115% from this time last year.
“And now, the left-wing D.C. Council wants to make the tough job facing the brave men and women of the Metropolitan Police even tougher.
“With violent crime spiraling out of control, the Council proposed a law that would strip police officers of collective bargaining rights, make more of their personal information available for public harassment, and add new hurdles for the use of force in defending themselves and the public.
“Remember, Congress already had to step in when the Council tried to go even softer on felony sentencing with another bill earlier this year. Even President Biden balked at such a radical measure.
“This latest law, which is already in effect on an emergency basis, has had a devastating impact on local law enforcement. The local police union reports 1,200 officers have chosen to leave the force since it took effect.
“In a city that’s facing its worst bout of violent crime in at least a decade, the police chief estimates he has fewer officers to fight it than at any time since the 1970s!
“To make matters worse, the Department is fighting a losing battle against the city’s soft-on-crime prosecutors. Last year, Washington’s U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to press charges on two-thirds of the arrests made by MPD. In other words, two out of every three times an MPD officer risks their safety to take a suspect into custody, the suspect walks free.
“No wonder, as Chief Contee reports, the average homicide suspect the Department encounters already has a rap sheet of 11 previous arrests. Left-wing officials in our nation’s capital are taking a cue from Washington Democrats’ approach to border security: catch-and-release.
“It’s unacceptable. But this Police Week, the junior Senator from Ohio brought forward a resolution to say enough is enough.
“After a bipartisan vote in the House, our colleagues on both sides of the aisle voted yesterday to reject the D.C. Council’s new law.
“I’m grateful to Senator Vance for his leadership. And I’m proud to join colleagues in continuing to back the blue.”
Original source can be found here.
