Make no mistake about it: our community is gripped in a public safety crisis – from burglaries to break-ins to auto theft. And I understand that times like these can rattle people's nerves; that's what I see in my opponents' one-dimensional impulsive responses to raise taxes or defund the police.
But reactionary ideas don't solve problems. Coalitions do.
Let me be clear, I have never and will never support defunding the police.
Here in Nassau County, I'm bringing together community stakeholders of all stripes to get on the same page and create a comprehensive solution to public safety issues.
I'll do the same in Congress; rather than spitting out the same excuses, retreating into partisan camps, or pointing fingers, I'll build unity around the solutions we all need, and that we know work:
Fully funding well-trained, accountable police departments.
Creating a robust mental health care system, to support people who are struggling;
Driving job creation to keep people from slipping into crime in the first place;
Finally standing up to the gun lobby and getting weapons of war off our streets.
Again, knee-jerk, bumper-sticker ideas like "Defund the Police" won't make our streets safer, and leaders who hide behind them aren't really invested in solving problems; in fact, those plans only dig us deeper into the hole we're in.
That's why we've built this movement to fight for commonsense solutions and productive coalitions and put an end to the partisan gridlock in Washington.
All families deserve to feel safe in their home and community.
Everyone can agree on that. It's time we had leaders who act like it.
More to come,
Josh
