JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Just minutes after his inauguration Monday, Missouri’s novel Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a series of anti-crime executive orders. The landmark move reflects a national trend.
After a period of relaxed criminal laws, a tougher approach to crime is back in political favor in the USA
Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting crime-fighting initiatives as a novel year of legislation begins in state capitals. This came after voters in several states passed ballot measures in the fall that imposed stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug trafficking.
Kehoe, a Republican who rushed to the polls, is scheduled to take the oath of office at noon. Shortly afterwards he plans a “Day One Action Ceremony”.
“Once I let go of the Bible, the Kehoe administration will work tirelessly to make Missouri safer,” Kehoe promised.
In some states, crime-fighting efforts are tied to efforts to crack down on those living in the U.S. illegally, reflecting a focus of President-elect Donald Trump. Many are also proposing tougher penalties for trafficking fentanyl, a synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S. each year
Other measures go beyond this. Some are calling for tougher penalties for sex crimes involving children, violent crimes or retail thefts, which have drawn attention from social media videos showing shoplifting squads rampaging through stores.
In Maryland, Democratic Sen. Ron Watson is supporting legislation that would allow prosecutors to file criminal charges against everyone involved in a group theft if the total value exceeds $1,500, even if each person stole less.
Criminals “are emboldened because they can get away with it and pretty much get a slap in the face,” Watson said. “Whether violent or nonviolent, a crime is a crime. And this crime must be punished.”
Drug crime in the spotlight
Utah State Rep. Matthew Gwynn, a Republican, is among many lawmakers targeting fentanyl dealers. Gwynn said his bill would impose higher penalties for selling huge amounts of illegal fentanyl than for other drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.
The federal government and many states have moved away from 1980s policies of harsher penalties for crack cocaine than for powder cocaine because civil rights activists noted a disproportionate impact on minorities. But Gwynn, police chief in the Salt Lake City suburb of Roy, said penalty increases for fentanyl are warranted.
“I believe fentanyl is almost terrorist in nature because of the amount of people it can kill,” Gwynn said.
Many types of crime have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Rates of violent crime and many property crimes have recently declined again, although shoplifting rates remain above pre-pandemic levels, according to the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank.
However, people’s sense of security is not necessarily tied to statistics. High-profile crimes such as the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, the burning of a woman in the New York subway, or the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive outside a New York hotel can affect perceptions of public safety.
“When you see randomness and brazenness, it makes people feel vulnerable and suggests a sense of lawlessness, a breakdown of norms of behavior,” said Adam Gelb, president and CEO of the Council on Criminal Justice.
“Many people seem to believe that the reforms of the last two decades have overstepped the mark and that there needs to be a realignment,” Gelb added.
Crime concerns voters
According to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters conducted during the fall election, nearly 8 in 10 U.S. voters said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned about crime in their own communities. In several states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama and California, the percentage saying they were very worried was higher than the national rate.
California voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative in November that made shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and toughened penalties for some drug offenses, including those involving fentanyl. The measure rolled back parts of a progressive law passed by voters in 2014 that downgraded several nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors, including theft under $950 and some drug offenses.
In Colorado, voters approved a ballot initiative that would extend the time people must serve in prison before being eligible for parole for certain categories of murder, assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, burglary and robbery.
Arizona voters approved measures that augment penalties for the sale of deadly fentanyl and impose a life sentence for certain child sex trafficking crimes.
Rethinking relaxed sentencing laws
Other states have backed down just a few years after relaxing criminal laws. Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek signed a measure repealing a 2020 voter-approved law that made possession of miniature amounts of tough drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine punishable by just a ticket and a maximum fine of $100 had punished. A novel law that came into force last year creates an offense punishable by up to six months in prison and imposes tougher penalties for selling drugs near parks and other locations.
Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed numerous anti-crime laws last year, including longer sentences for auto theft and fentanyl crimes, eliminating parole for most offenders and repealing a 2016 law restricting 17-year-olds Those charged with crimes had been treated as juveniles rather than adults.
In Missouri, lawmakers approved an overhaul of the state’s sentencing laws in 2014 that reduced possible prison sentences for some nonviolent drug crimes. In 2019, they added a law that exempts some nonviolent offenders from having to serve between 40% and 80% of their sentences, making hundreds of people eligible for release sooner.
This year, Missouri lawmakers are endorsing numerous anti-crime measures, including bills targeting fentanyl, trick driving, rioting, retail theft and resisting arrest. Other measures promote the recruitment of more police officers.
“Too many families in Missouri are being torn apart by violence and crime,” House Speaker Jon Patterson said on the opening day of the legislative session. “Nothing is more detrimental to the growth of our state than criminals roaming our streets without fear of punishment.”
