Just one month into 2022, it became clear that the new year hasn’t brought relief from the unprecedented spikes in violent crime in many cities since the summer of 2020.
Take Philadelphia, for example. With 140 carjackings reported through the first five weeks of 2022, the city is well on pace to surpass last year’s total of 757 carjackings.
Portland, Oregon, meanwhile, experienced more homicides and shootings in January 2022 than in January 2021—doubly concerning, since 2021 was by far the most violent year in Portland’s history.
These cities are far from alone.
Yet, progressive prosecutors in many of them seem to be doing their best to ensure that even the most violent criminals receive minimal punishment. Worse, cities such as San Jose, California, choose to lay the blame for criminal gun violence at the feet of lawful gun owners, imposing useless insurance mandates and unconstitutional taxes.