for The Hill

America’s deepest blue cities are sending progressives an unmistakable message: If your definition of “criminal justice reform” doesn’t include reducing crime and upholding public order, count us out.  

Crime has vaulted near the top of voters’ concerns, just after the economy and inflation. According to Gallup, 80 percent of Americans worry “a great deal” or a “fair amount” about crime, the highest level in two decades.

Such fears pose yet another midterm election hurdle for Democrats, on top of public angst over soaring prices and President Biden’s dismal public approval ratings. A recent poll found that voters give Republicans a 12-point advantage when asked which party they trust most to handle crime.

The public mood has swung dramatically since the public outcry in 2020 over the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other unarmed Black citizens. That put the national spotlight on police brutality and systemic racism in the criminal justice system.