Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and some of her progressive, anti-Police friends vehemently opposed an initiative in 2019 that would have placed 500 new transit Police officers in the New York Subway system.
This opposition has come under new scrutiny after the recent subway attack, and for good reason. At the time, AOC and friends claimed that minority communities would be unfairly targeted by the new officers:
“In our view desperately needed resources would be better invested in subway, bus, maintenance and service improvements,… We are urging the MTA to divest from this current model of criminalization.”
Jon Levine, New York Post
Punishing the poor does not create a safer environment. Instead it threatens the very foundation of our community. That is why my New York colleagues and I wrote a letter to @NYGovCuomo asking him to help put an end to MTA's dangerous policing policy. Check it out here: pic.twitter.com/g1AOWHA7Lh
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) December 17, 2019
Ironically, in the most tragic way, this letter along with defunding of New York’s Police department means that fewer Law Enforcement Officers were on-hand to prevent the Subway mass shooting. Not to mention, the victims of the shooting were predominantly minorities. This flies in the face of AOC’s sickening statement that minorities would be harmed if more transit Police had been hired.
With the recent crime waves in liberal cities and the horrific subway shooting “defund the Police” is a phrase rarely heard anymore except from radical. far-left politicians like AOC. Instead, cries are being heard around the country for more Police presence.
“How unfortunate that it took a violent crime wave, one that has victimized thousands of Americans of all races, including many children, and a violent attack that wounded subway riders of all races and ages, to bring many officials and politicians to their senses. It is time to stop viewing society’s ills through a flawed racial prism — and, especially, to end the mindless attacks on the men and women in blue.”
Peter King, The Hill
What do you think, is this the turning point of the anti-Police movement? Where do we go from here? Let us know in the comments.