President Biden on Wednesday said that Tuesday night’s primary races sent a message that voters want elected officials to take a tough stance on crime.
The president called on state and local leaders to put federal funds to use “to hire police officers and reform their police departments.”
“I think the voters sent a clear message last night: Both parties have to step up and do something about crime, as well as gun violence,” Mr. Biden said as he boarded Air Force One Wednesday on his way to California.
He pointed out that “very few” local leaders have put to use American Rescue Plan funds meant to bolster police departments.
He also declared that his $300 million request to Congress, included in this year’s budget, was meant to hire and retrain police.
“It’s time they move,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s time [the] states and the localities spend the money they have to deal with crime, as well as retrain police officers, as well as provide for more community policing.”
Democrats have faced increasing blowback from voters as crime rates have skyrocketed in cities nationwide.
On Tuesday, voters in San Francisco voted to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin by a 20-point margin in response to Mr. Boudin’s soft-handed approach to rising crime in the city.
In Los Angeles, law-and-order mayoral candidate Rick Caruso advanced to a runoff against Rep. Karen Bass, California Democrat, to replace term-limited incumbent Eric Garcetti.
After months of calls by some within the Democratic Party to defund the police, moderates complained that the message turns off voters.
Mr. Biden has taken a hit in polling over his handling of crime. And with the midterm elections quickly approaching, lawmakers are scrambling to shed their soft-on-crime label.
In February, Mr. Biden took a firm stance against the defund-the-police movement during his visit to New York City. At the time, the city was reeling from the recent loss of two officers shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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