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Transcription
The podcast explores the approach to crime under the leadership of Larry Krasner, the DA of Philadelphia since 2018. Krasner advocates for criminal justice reform, reduced mass incarceration, and addressing systematic issues within the legal system. However, critics argue that his policies may undermine public safety and fail to hold offenders accountable. They point to an increase in homicides and concerns about repeat offenders due to leniency and reduced use of cash bail. While Krasner emphasizes diversion programs and rehabilitation, critics argue that some offenders may not respond well to leniency and that accountability is important. The debate centers around finding a balance between being lenient and ensuring public safety. Good afternoon, listeners, my name is Don O'Brien, and in this podcast, we're going to explore the world of law and justice in Philadelphia. We're going to take a look at the approach on crime, particularly under the leadership of the new DA since 2018, Larry Krasner. And by the end of this podcast, we will conclude on whether this is soft on crime or a move towards justice. Let's find out. So who is Mr. Larry Krasner? Let's talk about it. He's a former civil rights attorney, took office in 2018. And since his arrival, he's changed the approach of Philadelphia. They were typically a pretty hard-on-crime city, you know, harsh punishments, not a lot of leniency. Until 2018, when Mr. Krasner took over as district attorney and advocated for criminal justice reform, reduced mass incarceration, and addressed systematic issues within the legal system, which there are systematic legal issues within the system, obviously. But I believe Larry Krasner could definitely take a different approach to this. I think there's a difference between being lenient and just, you know, really not punishing anybody at all. So there's definitely better solutions here. I think he's taking a poor approach to it. But let's take a look at a speech here that he wrote or said, rather, sorry. He said, we need to move away from policies that only focus on punishment. We must address the root cause of crime and work towards creating a fair and equitable justice system. So what he means by that is essentially he would say that the policies, they shouldn't just focus on, you know, sending somebody away for, you know, doing drugs or stealing. Because, you know, I mean, it is a harsh area. You know, people are struggling. They do need help. I, however, don't believe that it is an excuse. But, you know, other people see it differently. And, you know, we have to see everybody's opinion for what it is, obviously. So when we talk about the root of the crime, the root of the crime really comes from the soft on crime policy. Because it's just, you know, there's no fear of punishment anymore. So, you know, people are running rampant, doing whatever they want, because really there won't be any punishment. But, you know, people worry with Krasner. He might be a little bit too soft on crime. His reforms may undermine public safety and fail to hold offenders accountable. Let's take a look at this news report that I found. It says some residents expressed concerns about the rise in certain crimes and believe Krasner's policies may be contributing to the issue. Okay, so to discuss that really, let's say this. Since 2018, when Larry Krasner first took office as the DA, we had 353 homicides in Philadelphia. Just a year later, 356. Not a terrible jump. However, you know, not a lot of time to put his policies into effect. Now, two years later, during a pandemic where people were secluded in their homes, we saw a 133 homicide jump up to 499 in 2020. That is unfathomable. And in 2021, 562. So there's been a major jump every year since he's been in office, just kind of showing the con side of his policies, obviously. And then here in 2023, an assault report. On May 1st, we had 140 reported homicide cases. Yeah, you know, it's... People aren't scared, like I said, so people are just acting out and doing anything they want, really. But on to the next topic. To fully grasp what Krasner's ideologies and policies are, let's break down some of the key aspects of Krasner's approach. Hold on one second. So, with Krasner, one of his focal points is the emphasis on diversion programs rather than relying on punishment. He advocates for alternatives like drug courts, mental health programs. And he wants to address all the causes of criminal behavior and not really like what actually, like, you know, address the criminal behavior. And then here's another quote from Larry Krasner. We can't incarcerate our way out of every problem. By investing in rehabilitation and addressing underlying issues, we create a safer and more just society. So, critics are going to sit there and they'll argue, and I much so do agree with them, that this could cause repeat offenders. And I'll tell you why. So, if I kill, God forbid, you know, I murdered somebody, and I was let out on bail, or even, you know, with Krasner, sometimes no bail is required, no cash bail. So, essentially what happens here is, you know, these people, they get out and they feel no sense of, like, scaredness to get arrested again because they know it'll just be a little thing. So, yeah, it's definitely a huge problem. And repeat offenders are definitely a huge problem. And here's a statement from a critic. And he says, while rehabilitation is essential, we cannot overlook the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions. Some offenders may not respond well to leniency. And I 100% agree with that because, obviously, you know, sometimes you give somebody an inch and they take a mile. Sometimes you give somebody a mile and they only take an inch. You know, it just all depends on the people. But, obviously, in the five years of Krasner being here now, we've noticed that when you give the citizens of Philadelphia an inch, they take all of Broad Street. They take all, however many miles Broad Street is. Right? So, maybe start peeling back on that a little bit. So, another key point that Krasner likes to approach is, I mentioned this earlier, is bail and pretrial detention. He has put policies in place aimed at reducing the use of cash bail, and his argument is that it disproportionately affects low-income individuals who are unable to pay. And how I feel about that is, like, you do the crime, you do the time. It's not, oh, well, you did the crime, but you're poor, so let's have some leniency. No. And, again, you have to look at every angle, and I don't want to sound like arrogant, but, you know, that's just how it is. You can't have that stuff. And then for Krasner, another speech here, our goal is to ensure that pretrial detention system is fair and doesn't perpetuate inequality. No one should be detained solely because they cannot afford bail. And how I feel about that is, yes, they actually should. Yes, they really actually should. And this leaves dangerous criminals out on bail who will repeat offense because they know they aren't coming home after trial. They know that when they go to trial, they are getting locked up. It's over with. They're murdered if they did a murder, right? So now you put a murderer back on the streets who could inevitably have, you know, a problem with another street member or, you know, a neighbor and then kill again. So it's really just like it's dangerous and it's a scary situation to think about. So what I would do, and really when it comes down to it, is it's a fair policy. I get it. I can see where everybody's coming from. But at the end of the day, too many people are affected by this policy with the, you know, crime-ridden city and there's just nothing going on, nothing to do about it. So if I were Krasner, I would really take a different approach. I wouldn't be too hard on crime, but I would really just see, just, you know, just really, like, take into consideration, like, who you're letting back out on the streets and, you know, letting go without bail, all those sorts of things. So, yeah, basically, that's Larry Krasner and all his things, all his thoughts on crime policy. But, I mean, yeah, thank you for listening. Hopefully something can be done to fix this because, obviously, as being a resident of Philadelphia, I feel very unsafe. And, yeah, have a great day.
