South Carolina state Sen. Tim Scott | Facebook/Tim Scott
South Carolina state Sen. Tim Scott | Facebook/Tim Scott
State Sen. Tim Scott recently voiced his opposition to recent efforts to defund the police.
Scott made voice his disapproval for the movement when questioning a nominee for assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development at an Aug 5. hearing for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, according to a release from his office.
“Having lived in some of the poorest parts of South Carolina, I can tell you firsthand that the one thing no one living in the communities where I grew up is asking for is defunding the police,” Scott said. “Not a single person, not one. You look at the most recent polls and surveys done: more than 81% of African Americans have said very clearly that they want the same level of policing or more policing.
“I think about those people who are desperately looking for leadership because for them it is about life and death. It’s not about politics. It is about life and death.”
Scott pointed out that cities that have defunded police have experienced massive spikes in crime.
“You think about Minneapolis with a 90% increase in violent crime and homicides,” Scott said in the release. “You think about the fact that they are now saying, ‘Wait a second, cutting the police may have been a really bad idea.’ In Baltimore ... they have 392 positions to be filled. More than a dozen detective positions are vacant. What’s happening in Baltimore? The crime is up. And what is the city council saying? They are saying, ‘Well last year we cut it by $22 million, this year let's increase it by $28 million.’ Why? Because they understand that putting poor people in a place without security is immoral. It is wrong.”
Scott went on to state his belief that police protection is a bipartisan issue.
“I think about the kid I was, living in the neighborhoods I lived in, where police presence was necessary, it was essential. I don't think about this from the politics of left or right. I think about this as average American people who are vulnerable, who need help, who work hard, living paycheck to paycheck. And they want more policing.”
According to MSN News, the rate of murders in South Carolina increased by about 25% and aggravated assaults were up approximately 9% in 2020.
Instances of arson alarmingly went up by approximately 21% after steadily declining in 2018 and 2019.
The full video of the senator's remarks can be found here.
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