Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has taken steps to address crime — to be specific, he has sued auto manufacturers for making catalytic converters too easy to steal.
That’ll teach those criminals!
Progressives like Johnson fail to understand that their policies are fueling the crime wave, not fighting it. The evidence is clear: Crime is deterred by increasing the odds of prosecution. Increasing penalties has relatively little effect on crime rates; it’s really all about whether police and prosecutors will do their jobs. That’s a legitimate question in areas where police are defunded and prosecutors are pursuing social justice instead of the rule of law.
As the Justice Department itself points out, “It is the certainty of being caught that deters a person from committing crime, not the fear of being punished or the severity of the punishment. Effective policing that leads to swift and certain (but not necessarily severe) sanctions is a better deterrent than the threat of incarceration.”
What are the outcomes under liberal politicians such as Johnson, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and others? Even their Democratic constituents have had enough.
We know what works to deter crime: Make prosecution and punishment a certainty. The progressive mindset, unfortunately, is making victims of criminals and criminals of victims. Hence the crime wave that is crashing upon our cities.