Opinion by E.J. Dionne Jr.
June 20, 2021
We must fight racism and fight crime at the same time. We must reform policing and make policing more effective. And we must battle any demagoguery that casts demands for justice as concessions to criminality. …
… [Rep. Hakeem Jeffries] wants Democrats to show how crime can be reduced by tough action on guns and community-based policy innovations. As an example, he points to the work of “violence interrupters” who walk their neighborhoods.
“They have the credibility and authentic connections to people in high-crime neighborhoods to de-escalate conflicts before incidents occur,” he says, and before “the police are called into a highly confrontational situation.” In New York, a study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that violence interrupters helped reduce crime in the East New York and South Bronx neighborhoods.
