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.
