Crime has been a significant situation in lots of midterm races across the nation and it rapidly grew to become a flashpoint between Gov. Brian Kemp and his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams in Sunday’s gubernatorial debate.
When the moderator famous that Atlanta is experiencing report violent crime, Kemp insisted that he was out in entrance addressing that situation – figuring out avenue gangs and cartels as an issue earlier than others had been paying consideration.
However he quickly pivoted to criticize Abrams as an ally of progressive teams who sought to “defund the police” following the dying of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
“We’re not the native police division,” Kemp mentioned. “I’m not the mayor. I’m the governor.”
“Go verify the report, as a result of Ms. Abrams on CNN received requested the query, would she defund the police? And she or he mentioned, sure, we now have to reallocate assets. Meaning defunding the police,” Kemp mentioned.
However Abrams mentioned Kemp was mendacity about her report. She famous that below his management, violent crime and gun violence have gone up in Georgia.
“Weapons are the primary killer of our youngsters. We have now the ninth highest gun violence charge within the nation. Household violence with weapons has gone up 18% below this governor, and his response was to weaken gun legal guidelines within the state of Georgia,” she mentioned.
Abrams added that Kemp was distorting her report on police funding.
“I imagine in public security. I didn’t say, and nor do I imagine, in defunding the police,” she mentioned. “He’s mendacity once more. And I’ve by no means mentioned that. I imagine within the funding the police. I imagine in public security and accountability.”
Abrams has proposed offering $25 million in state grants to native businesses for pay will increase for regulation enforcement.
In June, Kemp joined Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens for a ribbon slicing ceremony at a brand new police precinct in Atlanta’s well-to-do neighborhood of Buckhead.
Kemp on the time touted state and native regulation enforcement working collectively to fight crime in Atlanta.
“Public security has no political boundaries,” Kemp mentioned. “Whether or not you’re Republican, you’re Democrat or whether or not you don’t care. You need your neighborhood to be protected, you need your streets to be protected and that’s what in the present day is all about: fulfilling the No. 1 responsibility of presidency by defending its residents.”
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