Bacon's Rebellion

Is Crime an Issue Anymore?

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by

James A. Bacon
in

In a speech delivered Feb. 28, Republican Attorney General candidate Steve Baril raised the issues of gang violence, the crystal meth epidemic and convicted criminals getting off without jail time. They strike me as entirely legitimate topics for debate. I just wonder how they resonate with the public right now. Said Baril:

As I look across the landscape of Virginia, I am struck by the outbreak of gang violence in Northern Virginia, which is insidiously seeping down the Shenandoah Valley.

I’m struck by the appalling murder rate in the City of Richmond.

And, I’m struck by the growing drug trafficking and Meth-labs cropping up in Southwest Virginia that threaten to run across Southside Virginia.

Violent crime is on the rise.

Is violent crime on the rise? I thought it was continuing to decline. What are the latest stats?

Baril wants to hire 100 more state troopers who could be deployed to “hot spots” around the state as needed. He also calls for reforming criminal sentencing guidelines, which “have degenerated to where a defendant is convicted and all too often serves little or no active jail time. … Sentencing guidelines should be grounded in common sense, justice and public safety,” he said in his speech. “Criminal sentencing should not be a tool for prison management.”

As a tough-on-crime kind of guy myself, I share Baril’s concerns and appreciate his tough-on-crime outlook. I’m just not sure how intensely I care about these issues. My perception is that crime is on the decline. Sure, it’s a problem. But it’s not top of mind.

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  1. Jim Bacon Avatar
    Jim Bacon

    P.S. I’m heading off to a mini-vacation in NYC, so I’ll be out of action for a few days. I’m confident that my fellow wonks will carry on without me.

  2. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    My understanding is that that car tax cut drained money from localities, who in turn cut back on basic services, like police officers. I know cops were taken off the street in NOVA over the last few years, for example.

    The gang problem is real. As these outer suburb ghettos start cropping up, the violence spills into traditionally “safe” suburbs.

  3. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    On the sentencing subject…my understanding was that Virginia’s sentencing laws are some of the toughest in the country.

    I think someone in the Baril campaign read Governor Allen’s playbook for getting elected and decided that railing against a problem that doesn’t exist (criminals getting off easy) would be a great strategy.

    If anyone disagrees with me, look at sentences for minor drug infractions, and tell me criminals are getting off easy…

    Reforming our disfunctional juvenile justice system that basically CREATES hardened criminals might be a better strategy…but it’s not politically popular to “go to bat”, so to say, for criminals – despite the fact that it might benefit society.

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I think you’re dead on. Public safety, while obviously a very important issue, has taken a backseat to education, transportation, economic development and fiscal/budgetary issues in recent years.

  5. Mattaponi Avatar
    Mattaponi

    Fiscal responsibility, tranportation and education are (or should be) the key issues. On the other hand, I’m relieved to see Steve Baril talking about things that an Attorney General should be talking about. A few months ago some of his statements on ephemera (for an AG)like transportation made me think he had lost track of which race he was in. Both he and Bob McDonnell are worthy, qualified candidates for the job. I certainly haven’t come to a decision yet. They just need to stick to their issues and not run for Governor before their time.

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