Don’t Blame Progressive Prosecutors for Rising Crime
More lenient policies don’t appear to be contributing to a crime wave in urban areas across the U.S.
Who’s to blame?
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
Violent crime in urban America is rising. There have been 13.5% more homicides so far in 2021 compared to last year, across 84 cities, and the trend is widespread: Homicides are up in two-thirds of cities. The increase is real and worrisome.
Many observers say that progressive prosecutors are to blame for this rise, arguing that criminals are taking advantage of greater leniency to wreak havoc in their neighborhoods. It’s not a crazy hypothesis — criminals respond to incentives, just like everyone else — but recent research shows it is not true.