(TheProudRepublic.com) – As they grappled with persistently high homicide rates following the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the largest Democrat-run cities in the nation witnessed reductions in their police forces.
According to a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2019 and 2023 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll, Democrat-run cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Austin, and Washington, D.C. employed approximately 1,500 fewer law enforcement officers in 2023 compared to before the pandemic.
These cities saw declines in their police departments while struggling to curb a surge in homicide rates coinciding with both the pandemic and the wave of racial justice movements seeking law enforcement reforms sparked by George Floyd’s death.
For instance, Portland’s homicide rate climbed to 13.2 per 100,000 residents in 2023, nearly 140% higher than its pre-pandemic rate of 5.5 per 100,000.
In response to pressure from racial justice activists in 2020, Portland slashed police funding by $15 million and eliminated 84 police officer positions.
Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler initially supported these cuts but later reversed course, attempting to restore some funding to the police department amid ongoing high crime rates.
Similarly, Washington, D.C., reduced its police budget by $15 million in 2020 under pressure from racial justice activists, leading to 113 fewer officers on the payroll in 2023 compared to 2019.
Moreover, Councilman Charles Allen (D) spearheaded the effort to cut police funding in D.C. and is facing a recall campaign, with critics blaming his public safety approach for contributing to the rise in violent crime.
New York City, home to the largest police department in the country, saw a decrease of 843 officers between 2019 and 2023. Despite this, New York’s homicide rate remains 23% higher than in 2019.
Los Angeles, another city with a major police department, saw 242 officers reduced between 2019 and 2023. During the same period, the city’s homicide rate increased by 32%.
Austin, which lost 104 police officers between 2019 and 2023, saw its homicide rate soar by 76% during that time. The city slashed its police budget by about a third in 2020.
In March 2023, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott deployed state police to assist Austin due to a staffing shortage.
This partnership faced criticism, leading to its termination in December 2023 after data revealed disproportionate arrests of Black and Hispanic residents by state police.
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