Over the past month, the shootings, kidnappings and murders plaguing the streets of Memphis were plastered on front pages and TV screens nationwide.
Ezekiel Kelly, who live-streamed a deadly shooting spree, had been released early after serving 11 months of his three-year sentence for felony aggravated assault.
These horrific acts of violence made headlines, but the resulting coverage exposed only a small portion of the crime wave devastating American cities and suburbs caused by the L desperate attempt to appeal to the radicals in their party.
These horrific acts of violence made headlines, but the resulting coverage exposed only a small portion of the crime wave devastating American cities and suburbs caused by the Liberal Democrats desperate attempt to appeal to the radicals in their party.
Since the summer of 2020, "Defund the Police" has transformed from a rallying cry of the far-left fringe to one of the Democratic Party’s most notorious platform planks. Presidential hopefuls, socialist "squad" members and then-Senator Kamala Harris have all joined the campaign to embolden criminals and undermine law enforcement, with disastrous results.
Now, Tennessee’s two U.S. senators have introduced legislation that would speed up the process of analyzing sexual assault kits after Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher was abducted and killed by a habitual offender a few weeks ago.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said on Tuesday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Dailywith host Alex Marlow that her Restoring Law and Order Act, co-sponsored with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), would redirect unspent federal funds ostensibly slated to address COVID-19 towards law enforcement.
“United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Restoring Law and Order Act in response to the violence plaguing communities across America,” according to a joint press release. “Compared to mid-2019, America’s largest cities have seen a 50% increase in homicides and a 36% increase in aggravated assaults. In Tennessee, Memphis has experienced a series of shockingly violent crimes.”
The law will provide federal grants to local law enforcement for the purpose of hiring more law enforcement officers, detaining and deporting more illegal aliens, and reforming pretrial detention laws that the senators believe are too weak.
The bill also specifically addresses rape kits. It will require the federal government to “study the deficiencies in processing rape kits and availability of the test kits” and give local law enforcement funding to “eliminate investigatory backlogs and more-quickly process criminal evidence.”
Blackburn also specifically addressed rape kits.
She said, “We need to increase funding for law enforcement, root out weak on crime prosecutors and judges, and keep violent criminals locked up. Senator Hagerty and I are introducing the Restoring Law and Order Act to ensure state and local law enforcement agencies have the resources needed to combat violent crime and improve the processing of DNA evidence such as rape kits. It is sad that in Washington, Democrats have made heroes out of criminals and turned police officers into villains. The defund the police movement is demanding compassion for criminals, but not their innocent victims. Senator Hagerty and I believe we must fund, not defund, the police and are proud to Back the Blue. This legislation will provide much-needed resources to our brave law enforcement officers so they can hunt down violent criminals and keep Tennesseans safe.”
Cleotha Henderson, the man charged in Fletcher’s murder, had spent nearly two decades behind bars for a previous kidnapping.
After he was released, he allegedly continued his pattern of behavior as a predator, including a 2021 alleged sexual assault of an as-yet-unidentified woman.
The sexual assault kit, which matched Henderson’s DNA, was not processed until just after Abston allegedly kidnapped and murdered Fletcher.
Had it been processed sooner, it is possible that Henderson would have been off the streets, and Fletcher would still be alive.
Blackburn says, “This legislation will help us identify deficiencies in processing evidence such as rape kits and increase resources for state and local law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime. It will take on the challenges law enforcement faces with funding to hire more police officers, detectives and trained lab personnel. In turn, law enforcement will have access to the manpower and evidence they need to keep rapists, drug dealers, murderers and other violent criminals behind bars. Senator Hagerty and I also sent a letter to Joe Biden demanding an end to his war on law enforcement.”
The Restoring Law and Order Act will increase resources for law enforcement by establishing a federal grant program to:
Hire more police officers and detectives, so that states can better target violent crime.
Provide funding for law enforcement agencies to target drug-related crimes such as fentanyl, which killed over 69,000 people in 2021.
Detain and deport illegal aliens who have committed crimes in the United States.
Use public safety tools such as bail and pretrial detention to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to communities.
The Restoring Law and Order Act will improve the processing of rape kits by:
Requiring the Government Accountability Office to study the deficiencies in processing rape kits and the availability of the test kits.
Giving state and local governments the funds to eliminate investigatory backlogs and more-quickly process criminal evidence.
What do you think?
See full text of Bill here ⬇️
Credit: Pete D’Abrosca (Tennessee Star), Breitbart, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty.
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