Police

Axios - From coast to coast, American cities known for liberal policies are taking more aggressive, conservative approaches to fighting crime.  It's a surprising and stark reversal for Democrats who pushed for significant criminal justice reforms four years ago... The rightward shift comes after many liberal cities and states limited police powers and cut law enforcement budgets following George Floyd's killing. The changes expose intense pressure on Democrats to adopt tougher anti-crime laws and policies they once ridiculed — and reflect rising fears about violent crime among voters on both ends of the political spectrum.

• San Francisco voters approved two ballot measures to expand police surveillance and impose drug screenings for those receiving welfare benefits.
• In New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently ordered hundreds of National Guard troops to cut crime in the subways.
• Oregon is recriminalizing possession of drugs — including heroin, cocaine and fentanyl — three years after becoming the first state to decriminalize possession and personal use of all drugs.
• D.C. just passed a sweeping new crime bill that raises penalties for thefts and gun crimes.

Violent crime has fallen back to 2019 levels in the U.S. after spiking during the pandemic, though not in all cities. The perception of crime remains high. 63% of Americans say crime in the U.S. is very or extremely serious, according to Gallup.