Jason Lewis, a former U.S. Representative from Minnesota, has said that violent crime has surged due to police defunding, deinstitutionalization, and media support for these policies. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“Murder trials, shootings, stabbings and flash mob black-on-white hate crimes,” said Lewis. “From Boise to Cincinnati to NYC, the chickens have come home to roost for ‘defunding police’ and ‘deinstitutionalization’—and a disgusting legacy media that promoted both.”
Debates over crime trends and police funding in U.S. cities have intensified. Policymakers are divided over the effects of police budget cuts and deinstitutionalization. Some argue these reforms improve equity, while others warn they contribute to rising violence, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Major Cities Chiefs Association, cities like Portland and San Francisco that cut police funding or implemented deinstitutionalization policies saw violent crime rates rise by 10–20% between 2020 and 2022.
A 2024 analysis by the Urban Institute found that cities using both community policing and expanded mental health intervention, such as Dallas and Houston, experienced greater drops in violent crime than cities relying only on police funding cuts or deinstitutionalization.
Lewis is known for his support of law enforcement and opposition to police funding cuts. He served on justice and transportation committees during his tenure as a Republican U.S. Representative from Minnesota, according to Ballotpedia.
