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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 18h

In April, Trump’s Department of Justice terminated roughly $820 million in grants to organizations across 37 states doing life-saving work to make communities safer.

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 18h

"If Trump truly wanted to do his job and help our city, he wouldn't send troops; he would send funds for affordable housing, mental health clinics and job opportunities for young people."

The only war in Chicago is the one the president is waging against us | Opinion

Since Trump declared war on Chicago, teachers have worked to protect and help students and their families from being taken by ICE.

www.usatoday.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 6d

The next mayor has a legal mandate to close Rikers as quickly as possible. Backtracking won’t make New York any safer or more affordable.

For more on closing Rikers and other imperatives for New York's next mayor, here's a resource from @vera.org:

Five Big Ideas for New York City’s Next Mayor to Deliver Safety,…

A comfortable place to live. An easy commute on the subway. Green spaces, well-lit streets, and good schools. Economic opportunity and the chance to get…

www.vera.org

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 6d

This plan is an effort by Cuomo to boost his mayoral campaign—but he is seriously missing the mark.

Voters don’t want new buildings on Rikers Island. In fact, Vera Action research shows that New York voters favor the transition to borough-based jails.

Graphic showing that 54% of New York voters favor closing Rikers Island and the transition to four borough-based jails, whereas only 36% prefer keeping Rikers open, per a December 2024 poll by Vera Action and Lake Research Partners.

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 6d

Cuomo’s policy also wouldn’t address one of the core issues with Rikers: its remote location. Keeping incarcerated people out of sight and out of mind, far away from their families, courts, legal services, and supports feeds the crisis in NYC jails.

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 6d

Rikers is beyond reform. Twelve people have died in city jails this year alone. In May, a federal judge had to appoint outside oversight.

The culture of abuse won’t change with new buildings on the island. Rikers needs to be closed for good.

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 6d

Gov. Cuomo’s about-face on closing Rikers isn’t about safety or justice—it’s just bad politics.

In 2018, he backed its closure: he knew rebuilding Rikers wouldn’t address the deep, systemic violence, and would be far more costly than borough-based jails.

Cuomo Calls for Rebuilding Rikers Island and Keeping the Complex Open

www.nytimes.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 8d

Trump threatened to invoke an 1807 law to force military troops into American cities to score on his political opponents. He doesn't care about our safety.

We deserve leaders with actual plans to lower crime rates and increase safety in cities.

How Trump could use the Insurrection Act to send troops to American cities

The president told reporters Monday that "we have an Insurrection Act for a reason."

www.axios.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 13d

Politically driven attacks on proven violence intervention programs and services pose a serious threat to public safety.

Leaders who truly care about safety and justice must stand strong and defend what works to build safer communities.

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 14d

Chicago has already made real progress in lowering crime rates by investing in proven violence prevention programs and expanding access to key services, good jobs, education, and health care.

In order to create a city where everyone feels safe, that work must continue.

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 14d

Governor @govpritzker.illinois.gov is right about Trump's threat to march federal troops into Chicago and other American cities.

"One thing is clear—none of what Trump is doing is making Illinois safer."

Illinois governor says Trump's military deployment threat isn't about safety

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says President Trump's threat to deploy 100 military personnel to Chicago is an effort to cause "mayhem," not make residents safer.

www.npr.org

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 15d

Detroit is seeing as much as a 50 percent drop in violent crime in neighborhoods that have set up strong community violence intervention programs.

We know what works to keep us safe—and it’s not marching federal troops into American cities.

Detroit's community violence program is having an effect, latest data shows

Between May and the end of July, the five zones overseen by community groups reported a 30% drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings. In two others, there was a 50% drop.

www.fox2detroit.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 16d

"If you want to help our cities, send our tax dollars back to us for violence prevention . . . so we can address the underlying causes of some of this crime, in terms of jobs and in terms of education."

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 16d

Mayors like Barbara Lee in Oakland understand what it takes to bring crime rates down: investments in jobs, housing and social services, and accountability at all levels.

"Accountability and safety go hand in hand."

Crime in Oakland dropped. Here’s how officials plan to keep it down

Your morning catch-up: Oakland is getting past a crime wave, millions of Californians are getting a refund on their electric bill and more big stories.

www.latimes.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 21d

Cutting funding for violence prevention programs and deploying federal troops to cities threatens the progress made on delivering public safety.

"Trump is prioritizing political theater over solutions to reduce crime." -Vera Action Director Insha Rahman

These Black cities cut crime. Mayors fear Trump's moves could undo the progress.

Crime is down in majority-Black cities, but mayors say Trump's cuts and Guard threats risk it.

www.axios.com

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Sep 5

Rather than emulate or succumb to Trump, Democrats can call out his "crime plan" for what it is: a political power grab by a president whose own actions undermine safety, endanger our families, and get us farther away from real solutions.

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Sep 5

Opinion research has consistently found that "tough on crime" rhetoric reinforces the GOP brand, even when Democrats use it.

Vera Action Director Insha Rahman talks to David Weigel about why Democrats need to build their own brand:
www.semafor.com/article/09/0...

One Democratic strategist’s argument against the ‘tough on crime’ pivot

Insha Rahman spoke to Semafor about how criminal justice reformers are thinking through this moment, and what her group’s polling really says.

www.semafor.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 28

Democrats cannot "out-tough" Trump and the GOP on crime. To respond to this historic threat, the party needs to tell its own story about what makes us safe.

They can own the issue of safety by focusing on real investments that are actually working to build safe communities.

Trump Is Leaning in on Crime. Democrats Need a Better Response — and Fast.

If the president's recent escalation was an attempt to goad Democrats into declaring that crime isn’t a problem, they did not disappoint him.

www.politico.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

Our charge to Democrats at the DNC Summer Meeting on Monday: take ownership of safety and justice.

Candidates who avoid the topic of crime on the campaign trail will do so at their peril.

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 20

While Republicans have made crime a core part of their platform, their policy proposals to get "tougher" don't actually work.

Democrats, on the other hand, have fallen short on acknowledging real concerns about crime or offering their own path forward.

The Politics of Crime Are Perilous for Left and Right Alike

www.nytimes.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

We weren't bluffing when we said that the federal takeover of D.C. was a political liability for Trump and Republicans.

➡️ Just 38% of Americans support using troops for law enforcement in the U.S. capital.
➡️ 46% are opposed.

New from Reuters/Ipsos:

Just 38% of Americans support Trump's use of troops to police DC, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Few Americans outside President Donald Trump's Republican Party support his deployment of National Guard troops to police the streets of Washington, D.C., according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

www.reuters.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

Our full statement:

Vera Action Responds to Clip from DNC Presentation

WASHINGTON — On Monday, Vera Action Director Insha Rahman gave a talk at the DNC summer convening, “How Democrats Can Fight and Win the Crime Debate,” based on Vera Action’s extensive research on crime and public safety. Following the presentation, a soundbite was clipped from the 20-minute presentation to misrepresent her. In response, Vera Action released the following statement from Insha Rahman:

veraaction.org

Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

To find out what voters really want when it comes to safety, accountability, and justice, do what we've been doing for years: following the data and research.

Watch our entire DNC presentation here:

User Clip: Vera Action Presentation at DNC summer convening, "How Democrats Can Fight and Win the Crime Debate"

Vera Action presentation at DNC summer convening, "How Democrats Can Fight and Win the Crime Debate."

www.c-span.org

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

As we shared on Monday, the police have a critical role to play in advancing public safety, but we cannot treat them as a one-size-fits-all solution.

We must invest in other proven programs and services that work to prevent crime, respond to crisis, and stop violence.

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

In a Gallup poll from November 2023, 64% of respondents said they favored spending more money and effort on addressing social and economic problems such as drug addiction, homelessness, and mental health compared to the 35% who favored spending more on law enforcement.

Americans More Critical of U.S. Criminal Justice System

A majority of Americans again say the U.S. criminal justice system is not tough enough. Far fewer now than in 2003 believe the criminal justice system is fair.

news.gallup.com

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Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · Aug 27

By calling on Democrats to be serious about safety, we are building upon longstanding research that shows Americans favor addressing social and economic problems to reduce crime.

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