Pennsylvania police leaders slam longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey for teaming up with advocates to defund police groups in what is likely to be a difficult re-election campaign. are doing.
“At a time when there have been four mass shootings in four days on local public transit and law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth are understaffed, Casey’s decision to defund police activists is alarming. “It’s extremely dangerous,” said Deputy Police Chief Folcroft. Chris Yzerman, director of Delaware County FOP Lodge 27, said at a news conference Wednesday, surrounded by other law enforcement officials.
His comments came in response to Invisible Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania affiliate, Invisible, announcing their support this week in support of Mr. Casey as he seeks to retain his Senate seat.
“Indivisible Philadelphia and #IndivisiblesOfPA enthusiastically support @Bob_Casey’s re-election to the U.S. Senate! #PASen,” Indivisible Philadelphia tweeted Wednesday, with state chapters of progressive groups also supporting Casey. He added that he is doing so.
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WASHINGTON – APRIL 18: Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, leaves the Capitol after voting on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images) (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Indivisible Philadelphia describes itself as “a grassroots organization of volunteers determined to resist corruption, authoritarianism, and inequality in government institutions and advance progressive policies.” The group has also repeatedly advocated for defunding the police, most notably in 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests and riots erupted in cities across the country. This was what unfolded.
“We won’t stop until they #DefundThePolice,” reads a June 25, 2020 post on the group’s website titled “Make a Demand!”
“When we said #DefundThePolice, we meant fewer police officers terrorizing Black and brown residents on the streets. public safety methods and programs,” the post continued. It happened after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that year.
When asked for comment on Wednesday, the organization’s leaders told FOX News Digital that while the police department has funding for “police operations,” other funds go to social networks that address non-police issues in the community. He said the money should be directed towards supporting workers and health authorities.
“Our position has always been that the police should be funded to carry out policing, and for other types of issues in the community, health workers, social workers, At Indivisible Philadelphia, we believe that mental health professionals should be properly funded,” said leader Vicki Miller.
Yzerman continued at the press conference that Casey’s policies during his tenure are more in line with those of Indivisible Philadelphia than with Pennsylvania voters.
“We all know [Philadelphia District Attorney] Larry Krasner’s progressive approach to putting criminals back on the streets isn’t working. Yet Bob Casey supports Soros-funded prosecutors in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and crime is completely out of control. Casey voted against dedicating $300 million to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s anti-drug and anti-opioid efforts. “He twice voted against Cato’s Law, which established minimum prison sentences for deported felons who illegally reentered the United States.”
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 28: A general view of the Philadelphia skyline on January 28, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Senate Press Secretary Maddy McDaniel’s Bob Casey said in comments to Fox News Digital Wednesday that the senator will provide law enforcement with the tools they need while Casey’s expected Republican Senate He detailed that he pursued challenger Dave McCormick. The spokesperson declined to say whether Mr. Casey supports Indivisible Philadelphia’s efforts to defund the police.
“Senator Casey has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for bulletproof vests, SWAT equipment, patrol cars, ballistic shields for police officers, and has worked with law enforcement to combat threats like fentanyl trafficking. David When Mr. McCormick opposed the border deal, he opposed law enforcement, which is supported by Border Patrol, and he spent his career investing in the Chinese government, which is now in Mexico. He is working with cartels to inject fentanyl into Pennsylvania. We cannot trust him to put our safety first — only his interests.”
Yzerman joins dozens of other law enforcement officials in the state, including 72 sheriffs, to support McCormick in his efforts to oust Casey, support the rule of law and support police officers. he claimed.
“Thankfully, Pennsylvania has a law and order Senate candidate, Dave McCormick, who will work with our law enforcement instead of against us. Dave is a military veteran and a threat to the safety of Pennsylvanians. “We are in the community,” he said at a press conference Wednesday. Ta.
Crime in Philadelphia has skyrocketed since 2020, with 2021 ending with a record high of over 550 murders and 2022 ending with a record high of over 1,000 carjackings. Since then, murders and car robberies have declined, but crime remains in the city, with multiple shootings on public transportation this year.
Violent crime increased across the U.S. in 2020, with homicides surging nearly 30% that year compared to 2019, the largest single-year homicide rate since the agency began tracking crimes, according to FBI data. There was an increase in Experts place the blame for that year’s spike in crime and long-standing crime trends on defunding of the police movement and a mass turnover of police officers.
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MINNESOTA, USA – MAY 28: A man holds and burns a placard in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Thursday, May 28, 2020, during the third day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A protester stands next to a car. Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody Monday night after an officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. (Photo by Steel Brooks/Anadolu Agency, Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency/Getty Contributor)
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Philadelphia was short by more than 800 workers as of January, while Pittsburgh was short by about 110 workers as of last month, according to local news reports.
Smoke rises from a fire in a police cruiser in Philadelphia on May 30, 2020. The first of six people charged with setting a police car on fire in Philadelphia in response to the 2020 police riots following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has been sentenced. ((AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File))
Although Casey describes himself as a supporter of law enforcement, his Senate page clearly states that the police system “must be reformed.”
“Senator Casey believes that our nation is at a moral crossroads, and that centuries of prejudice and ignorance impacting communities of color are continuing. We believe we can no longer accept a criminal legal system influenced by racial bias. Under the “Judiciary and Law Enforcement” section, the senator supports law enforcement and maintains a position of public trust. He says he believes these systems can and must be reformed, while holding those who abuse them accountable.
Philadelphia police face a staffing crisis that is expected to get worse.
The longtime senator, who was first elected in 2007, expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement in support of defunding the police in social media posts in 2020. He also praised sports teams that boycotted games in 2020 after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. in August of that year.
“We must end police brutality and systemic racism in policing,” Casey said in a 2020 press release, adding, “Every American’s right to safety and equal justice is a must.” It’s time to create structural changes that protect our people. I’m proud to be an ally of justice.” The Police Act 2020 will hold police accountable and improve police transparency. ”
Casey is aligning himself with left-wing groups in what he previously described as a “close and tough race.”
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“But, you know, there’s a lot at stake every time. Every time I’ve run for office in Pennsylvania, I’ve had to earn the votes and the trust of the people. And I have to do it again. I had to do it,” he told NBC last month about the expected difficult race.
PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 17: Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick greets supporters at the Indigo Hotel during a primary election night event on May 17, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Mr. Casey is expected to face Mr. McCormick after the state’s primary election. Mr. McCormick, an Army veteran and former CEO of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security and Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs under President George W. Bush. .
A recent Emerson College poll and The Hill poll found McCormick’s approval rating was 41%, to Casey’s 45%, closing in on Casey.
Mr. McCormick has the backing of 47 Pennsylvania sheriffs, and Mr. Yzerman reiterated Wednesday that the department supports Mr. McCormick, a Republican, in his campaign to unseat Mr. Casey.
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“It’s no surprise that 47 Pennsylvania sheriffs have already endorsed Dave as the next U.S. senator.Delaware County FOP Lodge 27 has endorsed Dave McCormick as its candidate to replace Bob Casey in the U.S. Senate. I’m proud to be able to help.”
