Drugs Are Fueling Urban Crime. Will Democrats Pay Attention?
Liberal U.S. cities are paying a high price for “harm reduction” policies that normalize addiction.
That’s the last thing he needs.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
A nationwide surge in crime has emerged as one of Democrats’ greatest political vulnerabilities heading into this year’s midterm elections. They are scrambling to respond, abandoning calls to “ defund the police” and pledging to push for public safety and amend controversial bail-reform laws.
Such efforts may not be enough. So far, most Democrats show no signs of addressing one of the most robustly documented, and worsening, contributors to crime: drugs and alcohol. No attempt to reduce crime can succeed without addressing the substantial effect of the use of both on a wide range of socially harmful behavior.