Democrat Tells Fox News: Defunding Police Endangers Battle with MS-13

A Democrat has told Fox News that he opposes defunding the police because it would be a gift to MS-13. Steve Bellone, a member of the New York Executive for Suffolk County, told Fox & Friends on Wednesday that he feared what would happen of calls to defund were successful.

“We’ve had 100 protests here in the in Suffolk county,” Bellone said. “We certainly understand the pain and the anger and the frustration people are expressing and the work that needs to be done.”

“But this notion of defunding the police and what it implies that somehow we don’t need the police doesn’t make sense. It may make for catchy slogan at a protest but as a matter of public policy, it just doesn’t work.”

“The fact of the matter is crime has not gone away. Every day there are bad people out there trying to do bad things and it could be property crimes, violent crimes, domestic violence incidents. We have our police officers breaking up sex trafficking rings. And battling brutal criminal organizations like MS-13 to get them off our streets.”

Bellone’s suggestion that defunding police would lead to chaos is simply not the case, though that is how opponents have presented it. Rather, defunding involves a community safety approach and redirecting money to social projects that may reduce crime. Though policing as it currently exists would be abolished.

MS-13 has long been a staple talking point for Fox News, including during the 2018 midterm elections when conservatives whipped up fear about a migrant caravan.

Watch the video above, via Fox News.