What to Know: A new report says that “In nine of the cities that made the most dramatic cuts to police department budgets, homicides rose by nearly 68%.” The TPPF Take: As Austin and other cities that defunding the police are learning, it takes police officers to reduce crime. “The goal of the defunding movement was never about public safety,” says TPPF’s Randy Petersen. “Rather, the goal has always been punishing the police and even abolishing law enforcement. Who exactly stands to gain the most from this agenda? Soaring crime rates give us that answer, and the ones who suffer are the most vulnerable among us in high-crime neighborhoods.”

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