Impeaching Krasner and other ‘progressive’ prosecutors will not reduce violence

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is regularly targeted as the foe of the city’s police officers and is frequently vilified by the Fraternal Order of Police’s John McNesby.

While the acrimony makes the news cycle more interesting, attributing spikes in violence to the policies and practices of a single politician or office is not only absurd, it is contrary to the available evidence. Furthermore, this kind of unfounded criticism — which is driving a Republican effort in Harrisburg to impeach Krasner — distracts stakeholders, including community members, from the root causes and forms of the violent crime increases. This political sleight of hand jeopardizes the very collaborations required to reduce acute and long-term trends in violence. Lastly, it fails to hold accountable the people who are actually responsible for violent crime: the perpetrators.

For those of us who are interested in a less-biased explanation of changing crime patterns in Philadelphia and beyond, let’s go back to 2015, when the homicide spike began. This is important because many of Krasner’s critics begin by citing the increases in homicide during Krasner’s first year in office, 2018, despite the fact that in several major cities, including Philadelphia, homicides began increasing three years prior.

Critics often go on to link progressive attorneys and campaign funding by billionaire George Soros to surges in homicide. To vet this argument, I went ahead and did a quick check of the other municipalities that first saw crime increase in 2015.

» READ MORE: The case for impeaching Krasner | Opinion

Unsurprisingly, some of the cities, like New Orleans, were far from progressive. According to a 2015 report, the increase in shootings in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Washington, D.C., was the result of a startling, then-new trend in gang activity and dispute resolution. As gangs splintered and recruited younger members, perceived beefs — fueled by social media and trash talk — were ultimately resolved with firearms instead of fists.

A full portrayal of facts negates the claim that Krasner’s progressive policies are to blame for increased violence. In fact, at least 11 Republican-led states also saw crime increase in 2015.

So the spike that predated Krasner’s term must have been the result of other factors, some of which still persist today. These include altered police practices, poverty, trauma, and lack of access to basic human needs, like adequate education, housing, and employment.

Politically biased assumptions, like those made above, are not only inaccurate, they create the illusion that public safety will be immediately restored by a change in leadership or the next election cycle.

If only it were so easy.

Just think about all the factors that have been influencing the rise in crime since 2015, and you’ll see that impeaching Krasner won’t have any effect.

Take, for instance, the theory espoused by former FBI director James Comey, who said in 2015 that he thought the rise in crime might be a result of the so-called Ferguson effect, which holds that, following high-profile incidents, people pay closer attention to police, which discourages officers from proactive policing, and can embolden people to commit crimes.

Such incidents threaten police-community relationships and negatively impact crime reporting, including victim and witness accounts. Additionally concerning is the growing number of Philadelphia police officers who have been unavailable for work, despite being capable of other physically demanding side gigs, due to alleged on-the-job injuries since 2014, as highlighted by recent reporting. Reduced reporting and decreased police staff inherently impact crime clearance rates.

» READ MORE: End the Krasner impeachment sideshow | Editorial

In a recent study of violence in Philadelphia, the 100 Shooting Review Committee reported that the overwhelming majority of fatal and nonfatal shootings are not cleared by arrest. Lack of arrests can be attributed to a lack of witness participation, the diminished availability of responding officers, or both.

The report also makes numerous recommendations to combat the historic rise in Philadelphia’s homicide rates. More importantly, these recommendations are supported by an established body of scientific research, rather than the false ideological notion that Krasner’s, or other progressive’s, prosecutorial practices are to blame for violence in Philadelphia.

In order to actually improve public safety, municipalities must make multiple short-term and long-term investments in everything from improved policing and collaborative prosecutorial practices to increasing green spaces, recreational centers for at-risk youth, safe and affordable housing, quality education, reliable transportation, suitable employment, and treatment for the acute and chronic trauma associated with living in an urban war zone.

Anything less will not only objectively fail to reduce violence, it will continue to exacerbate the same sociopolitical conditions that have rendered Philadelphia one of the most violent, poorest cities in America.

Christi M. Smith is a former university professor and adult probation and parole officer supporting local and commonwealth-wide reentry initiatives. She is a senior fellow in the criminal justice and civil liberties division at a Washington, D.C., think tank.