Plan of Action for Safer Communities
Skyrocketing violent crime is wreaking havoc on communities across our country. Instead of thanking our men and women in law enforcement for their service and providing them with the resources they need to keep Americans safe, politicians have too often targeted police as convenient punching bags to promote soft on crime policies and out-of-touch political agendas.
In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan has been a national leader on supporting our men and women in law enforcement, as well as fighting for common sense proposals that crack down on violent crime and provide support to victims. To reverse the tide of rising crime, An America United urges leaders across the country to follow Governor Hogan’s lead by adopting the following four common sense proposals:
The “Defund the Police” movement has created a chilling effect on effective policing, causing recruitment, morale, and retention to hit all-time lows among law enforcement. Governor Larry Hogan was one of the first elected officials in the country to speak out against this movement, calling it “absurd and ridiculous.” Instead of defunding police, Governor Hogan implemented a first-in-the-nation “Re-fund the Police” initiative, providing half a billion dollars for salary increases, bonuses, expanded training, and additional resources for victim services. An America United calls on leaders across the country to also implement a “Re-fund the Police” package and proposes the following at the federal level:
A massive onslaught of woke political spending has helped elect far-left politicians and prosecutors who refuse to hold violent criminals accountable. Governor Larry Hogan has led the fight against this dangerous approach by pushing for increased prison time for repeat violent offenders, passing legislation to increase transparency around sentences handed down by judges, and providing unprecedented resources for federal prosecutors and warrant initiatives. An America United proposes deploying federal prosecutors to areas where politicians and prosecutors failed to do their jobs. Additionally, we urge local, state, and federal leaders to make sure criminals who assault police officers are held accountable to the full extent of the law.
The Opioid Epidemic has cost us countless lives, tearing families and communities throughout our nation apart. Governor Hogan was the first governor in America to declare a state of emergency to combat this crisis. His administration has made it a top priority over the last eight years to put the resources and support systems in place at every level to expand access to treatment and prevention. To fight back against this epidemic, An America United proposes increasing resources for drug prevention, treatment, and funding for recovery support services as well as implementing policies that limit the amount of opioids that can be prescribed.
The crisis at the border harms every community across our country as criminal cartels continue to smuggle fentanyl, illegal weapons, and other dangerous drugs into our country. In the absence of any leadership from the Biden administration, Governor Hogan joined the “American Governor’s Border Strike Force” to target these criminal cartels. He has repeatedly vetoed sanctuary state legislation that would impede local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal law enforcement. An America United proposes that Washington take action immediately to secure the border, starting by increasing resources and pay for border patrol.