“By demonizing law enforcement while coddling criminals, woke lawmakers and prosecutors have endangered innocent Americans.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in the Ouachita Citizen explaining how Washington’s soft-on-crime policies and rhetoric have harmed Louisiana. He argues that his colleagues in Congress must do more to support law enforcement and promote policies that maintain law and order.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“Some people in power who should know better think cops are a bigger problem than criminals. And they’ve got more empathy for criminals than they do for the law-abiding people those criminals robbed, maimed, or killed. It’s pure lunacy. And it’s making life worse for Louisianians.
“Louisiana has the second-highest homicide rate in the nation. As a city, New Orleans led the nation in homicides in 2022. Baton Rouge’s burglary rate is 330 percent higher than the national average. Shreveport landed on a list of the most dangerous metro areas after a 21.3 percent increase in violent crime.”
. . .
“You don’t need to be Einstein’s cousin to understand what’s driving this crime wave: anti-cop rhetoric, soft-on-crime policies, and the idea that criminal justice is usually unjust.
“Hating cops has become a status symbol for the loon wing of the progressive movement. They have spent years spewing vitriol at law enforcement and working to defund the police.
“Now, we face a severe police officer shortage nationwide, especially in Louisiana. The Louisiana State Police were 300 officers short of the recommended staffing levels. New Orleans is short hundreds of officers, too. Baton Rouge’s police vacancy rate climbed from 30 officers in 2016 to 105 officers in 2022. Shreveport needed 135 additional officers as of March.”
. . .
“Only in Washington would someone be more worried about a criminal’s comfort than a victim’s pain. Or find concerned parents at school board meetings more dangerous than terrorists sneaking across our open border. Or think policing is a bigger threat than crime.
“The government’s first job is to protect people and their property. By demonizing law enforcement while coddling criminals, woke lawmakers and prosecutors have endangered innocent Americans.
“I won’t let Washington ignore the carnage that has unfolded, and I’ll keep fighting for policies that restore safety and order to our country and our state. Without order, there can be no justice.”
Sen. Kennedy has introduced and supported several bills aimed at restoring law and order in America, including the Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act and the Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act. He also has a strong record of opposing reforms that shorten sentences for criminals, including the First Step Act.
Read the full op-ed here.