Biden Budget Invests in Crime Accountability AND Prevention

President Biden released his FY2025 budget last month, and it makes historic investments to hold criminals accountable and prevent crime before it happens. Democrats need a proactive crime message and President Biden hits the nail on the head. Republicans have been crying “soft-on-crime” for decades, and voters are believing it. But Democrats can neutralize those attacks by running on a crime platform of accountability and prevention. We explore the crime pieces of the Biden Budget below.

Investing in Accountability

Federal Level

The Biden Budget uses a multiagency approach to tackling violent crime, from hiring more federal prosecutors to going after illegal gun traffickers and combatting drug trafficking. President Biden proposes the creation of a $1.2 billion Violent Crime Reduction and Prevention Fund to give federal, state, and local law enforcement the support they need to focus on violent crime. The fund would support the hiring of new federal law enforcement agents and prosecutors as well as 4,700 detectives at the state and local levels to drive down the high rates of unsolved violent crimes. His budget also proposes:

• $2.8 billion for the Office of the US Attorneys, including funding to hire 50 new attorneys to prosecute violent crimes.
• $2 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to arrest and prosecute illegal firearm traffickers and keep guns from falling into dangerous hands.
• $51 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to continue the implementation of enhanced background checks.
• $3.3 billion for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to combat drug trafficking.
• $1.2 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to counter fentanyl trafficking, especially across the southwest border.
• $1.9 billion for the US Marshals to support efforts to reduce violent crime, including fugitive apprehension.

State/Local Level

The Biden Budget also gives states, counties, and cities the resources they need to address violent crime. State and local leaders know their communities the best, so they’re better equipped to know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to stopping crime. His budget proposes:

• $10.9 billion for states and localities to recruit, train, support, and hire 100,000 additional police officers.
• $3.7 billion for state and local grants to improve public safety.
• $1.5 billion in grants to support community violence intervention programs.

Investing in Prevention

The Biden Budget requests $31.8 billion to support programs associated with President Biden’s Safer America Plan, including state and local grant programs that invest in crime prevention. Funds can be used to:

• Expand drug courts that divert individuals into treatment rather than incarceration.
• Increase mental health and substance use disorder services.
• Support teenagers and young adults with paid jobs and after school programs.
• Provide housing and other supportive social services to people who are homeless.
• Increase job training, employment, and housing for people returning home from prison.

Conclusion

Americans want a crime plan that focuses on accountability and prevention, and President Biden’s budget does just that. Biden is requesting funds to hire more federal prosecutors, go after illegal firearms and drug traffickers, hire more local police, and fund community violence intervention and crime prevention programs. This is a vital part of the case Democrats need to make to push back on Republican “soft-on-crime” attacks.