As murder rates continue to skyrocket in Democratic run cities across the country, top law enforcement officials are growing frustrated with a lack of prosecution and harsh sentencing for violent criminals.
In Washington D.C., where the City Council recently passed a new criminal code decreasing the penalties for carjacking and murder, Police Chief Robert Contee is explaining why homicides are on the rise.
"If we really want to see homicides go down, keep bad guys with guns in jail because when they're in jail, they can't be in communities shooting people. So when people talk about what we need to do different, or what we should do different or what we need to do different, that's the thing that we need to do different. We need to keep violent criminals in jail," Contee said. "Right now, the average homicide suspect has been arrested 11 times prior to them committing a homicide. That is a problem. That is a problem."
Must watch for @CMBrookePinto @charlesallen @ChmnMendelson @BrianneKNadeau @USAO_DC @DCAttorneyGen Enough is Enough!! pic.twitter.com/q9xLwe7rQp
— Potomac Fever (@FeverPotomac) March 6, 2023
The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted in bipartisan fashion to block D.C.'s new and lax sentencing guidelines. President Joe Biden announced he would not veto the legislation if it passed in the U.S. Senate, prompting the D.C. Council to pull the legislation in an attempt to save face.
The head of the D.C. Council says he is withdrawing the city’s new criminal code from consideration, just before a U.S. Senate vote that seemed likely to overturn the measure. But it's unclear if the action will prevent the vote or spare President Joe Biden a politically charged decision on whether to endorse the congressional action.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced the withdrawal Monday morning, a rare move that he said wasn’t prohibited under Washington’s Home Rule authority.
DC CRIME BILL LATEST: The head of the D.C. Council says he's withdrawing the city’s new criminal code from consideration, just before a U.S. Senate vote that seemed likely to overturn the measure. https://t.co/53I0HGRI5o
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) March 6, 2023
The U.S. Senate will still hold a vote against the measure.
