FBI: Violent Crime Surged Under Newsom and Plummeted under DeSantis

FLORIDA — New crime data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows a sharp contrast in public safety between Florida and California. 

The national statistics show that violent crime fell 1.7 percent nationwide in 2022. But in California – a state proudly embracing Leftist policies – violent crime rose 13 percent during the same period.

VIOLENT CRIME

While Newsom brags about his state’s strict gun-control laws, more than 20 percent of aggravated assaults in 2022 were committed with a knife or blunt object. In the Golden State, violent offenses are often perpetrated by drug-addicted or mentally ill people living on the streets.

In contrast, Florida’s violent crime rate decreased by 31.5 percent, according to the report. DeSantis has made it clear that crime will not be tolerated in Florida, as evidenced by his decision to remove two Soros-backed state prosecutors for neglect of duty and incompetence.

The rate of violent crime in California – 499.5 per 100,000 people – was nearly double that in Florida – 258.9 per 100,000. Throughout 2021 and 2022, California’s violent crime rate surged – even Governor Newsom was assaulted by a homeless man in Oakland.

PROPERTY-RELATED CRIME

Predictably, amid COVID lockdowns, BLM protests and backlash against law enforcement, violent crime increased in Florida but sharply plummeted as California’s level increased through 2022.

The FBI’s data on property-related crime show offenses in Florida down 27 percent – three times the nationwide average. Auto theft in California saw a 31.3 percent jump since 2019. While California’s rate of property-related crime stayed about the same, small businesses have acknowledged that they are less prone to report retail theft to law enforcement because it routinely goes unprosecuted.

Despite complaints of smash-and-grab thefts from California retailers, the state effectively decriminalized shoplifting and theft of less than $950 in 2014. Often, California police refuse to arrest shoplifters because they are released almost immediately by district attorneys.

Newsom criticized DeSantis for removing state attorneys in Tampa and Orlando who failed to enforce mandatory minimum sentences. But State Attorney Monique Worrell of the 9th Judicial Circuit – the most recently suspended state attorney – dropped drug charges against a 19-year-old who later went on a shooting spree that killed a 9-year-old girl and two others.

RED VS. BLUE DEBATE

After accepting an invitation to debate Newsom on Fox News in November, DeSantis told Sean Hannity that people have already been voting with their feet and fleeing California in record numbers. But the issue, DeSantis says, goes beyond merely blue states vs. red states.

“The debate about the future of our country is one we need to have,” DeSantis said. “I’m game to talk about my plans to reverse the decline in this country anytime, anywhere, because I have the best vision for the future of our country.”

Hannity said he’s “looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American.”