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Politicians and Pundits Declare 2024 Election a “Mandate” for Change in Law Enforcement
The 2024 election has been described as a “mandate” for change from the American people, with concerns over crime, illegal immigration, and economic frustration driving the shift. In 2020, many local and federal politicians responded to protests to “defund” or “dismantle” police departments across the country, introducing bills aimed at reforming the criminal justice system in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
However, four years later, Americans are seeking more power and funding for law enforcement. Betsy Brantner Smith, a retired police sergeant and spokesperson for the National Police Association nonprofit, noted this significant shift in legislation and candidates, stating, “We’re seeing a huge shift post-election now in legislation propositions – even candidates who rejected defunding, they rejected decriminalization, they rejected decarceration.”
In California, voters rejected another term for progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, backed by billionaire George Soros. Californians also overwhelmingly voted in favor of Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, which aims to reverse portions of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for certain crimes.
In Alameda County, outside of San Francisco, voters recalled District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao. Criminal defense attorney Michael Cardoza, a FOX 2 San Francisco legal analyst who previously worked in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, believed the Board of Supervisors has received a “referendum or a mandate from the voters: we don’t want the liberal approach.”
However, not everyone is optimistic. Former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro said the “ruling class” in certain blue areas has not changed, and the tea leaves indicate that the electorate has not shifted significantly. “You had Gascon out. Mayor of San Francisco out. Mayor of Oakland out. The D.A. of the county that covers Oakland out. Proposition 36 [was] overwhelmingly approved in the same jurisdiction that had approved the prior proposition that went against police efforts… So, you have to lie to yourself to believe that there hasn’t been a significant shift in the electorate,” Mauro stated.
