Democrats Embrace Tough-On-Crime Policies in Sharp Reversal

13 Oct, 2025

By Eli Sachs

A growing number of Democratic officials are adopting tough-on-crime strategies not seen since the 1990s, seeking to counter President Trump's focus on violent crime rates in Democrat-led cities. The shift marks a dramatic reversal from the police reform movement that gained momentum following George Floyd's murder in 2020, and is alarming progressives who note that crime rates remain at or near historic lows.​

From New Jersey to New Mexico, Democratic leaders are calling for more police officers, tougher bail guidelines for repeat offenders, fewer early releases from jails and prisons, and increased patrols in targeted areas. The policies extend beyond urban centers to address crime in subway systems, on Native American reservations, and in rural communities where Black and Latino residents face disproportionate levels of violent crime.​

While homicides have declined nationally, high-profile crimes—including the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina—have inspired moderate Democrats to push stepped-up anti-crime plans. The political pressure intensified as Trump made violent crime a central focus of his administration, deploying National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and declaring a crime emergency in the nation's capital.​

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has emerged as a prominent example of the new Democratic approach to crime. After taking office in January 2024, Parker declared a public safety emergency and adopted a comprehensive plan based on increased, targeted policing. Her tough-on-crime stance was credited with helping her defeat more progressive rivals in the 2023 mayoral race.​

"From Day One of my administration, I've been adamant that I will do everything in my power to restore order to Philadelphia," Parker said at a bill-signing ceremony. "If you think you can commit crimes in this city and then evade detection... I strongly encourage you to think again".

Parker's strategy has included technological upgrades such as sensors on handguns to activate body-worn cameras when fired, expanded license plate reader systems, and a redesign of the Group Violence Intervention program. The city has also launched a five-phase plan for the Kensington neighborhood, offering people living on the streets access to shelter and recovery services before initiating "focused and intense" policing, including warrant sweeps and multi-day arrest operations.​

The results have been significant: Philadelphia recorded 206 homicides in 2024, a drop of 34% from 2023 and the lowest total in a decade. Shooting victims also declined to approximately 1,080, falling by more than a third from 2023. The city saw homicides nearly halved and shootings down 34% midway through 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.​

In April 2025, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque and authorized deployment of 60 to 70 National Guard members to assist local police—months before Trump sent federal troops to Washington, D.C.. The deployment came in response to Albuquerque being one of the nation's most violent cities, with the state holding the second-highest violent crime rate nationally.

"I think Democrats ought to be tough on crime," Lujan Grisham told Axios. But "being tough on crime does not mean that you are breaching people's other constitutional rights, like free speech".

Unlike Trump's deployments, Lujan Grisham acted at the request of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, a fellow Democrat facing a surge in violent crimes and a persistent shortage of police officers. The National Guard members assist with non-law enforcement duties such as securing crime scenes, operating drones, traffic control, and booking suspects. Critically, they do not wear military uniforms, carry weapons, or travel in armed vehicles—instead wearing black polos and khakis while driving marked pickup trucks.​

The approach has shown measurable results: homicides in Albuquerque dropped 24% in the first half of 2025. By October 2025, crime in every category had been declining by double digits for nine months.​

In November 2024, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which established stiffer penalties for certain theft offenses and mandated treatment for repeat drug crimes. The measure came a decade after Proposition 47 had significantly reduced penalties for nonserious, nonviolent drug and property crimes.​

Proposition 36 allows prosecutors to charge a third instance of petty shoplifting as a felony, even if the stolen items are below the $950 felony threshold, if the individual has two prior theft convictions. For organized retail theft, the measure empowers judges to impose additional prison time ranging from one year for thefts exceeding $50,000 to four years for thefts reaching $3 million.​

The proposition also creates "treatment-mandated" felony charges for simple drug possession among individuals with two or more previous drug convictions. If defendants complete treatment successfully, they avoid a felony conviction.​

Data from early 2025 shows prosecutors have filed thousands of new felony drug and theft charges under Prop 36, though implementation varies substantially across counties. The measure's primary backers included major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Home Depot, though small businesses and franchise owners emerged as among the staunchest advocates.

The Democratic shift echoes the party's approach in the 1990s, when it sought to wrest control of crime issues from Republicans. The 1994 federal crime bill, signed by President Bill Clinton and championed by then-Senator Joe Biden, created tough new criminal sentences and incentivized states to build more prisons. The legislation was backed by numerous current Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Bernie Sanders.​

The 1994 law led to a dramatic rise in incarcerated Black men and shaped Democratic Party politics for years. The official 1996 Democratic Party platform relied heavily on the law to display tough-on-crime credentials, dedicating an entire section to "tough punishment" and encouraging states to pass truth-in-sentencing laws. This platform remained largely in place until 2008, when the tone and substance began to change—coincidentally, the year incarceration rates peaked.​

Many Democrats downplayed the 30th anniversary of the crime bill in 2024, just a year before the current shift toward tougher policies. Biden himself proposed a criminal justice agenda in 2019 that would reverse key provisions of the 1994 crime bill, including ending the disparity in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine offenses and abolishing the federal death penalty.​

The Democratic embrace of tough-on-crime policies has alarmed progressives who in recent years supported police reforms and note that crime rates across the nation are at or near historic lows. Progressive activists worry that Republicans' plans for a new anti-crime bill could bring echoes of the 1994 legislation that fueled mass incarceration.​

Insha Rahman of the Vera Institute of Justice argues that the move toward tough-on-crime proposals overlooks evidence that community-based preventative programs are more effective. "That is what Democrats and others who oppose President Trump's actions should be calling out... the cutting of funding and programs and services that prevent crime and save lives," Rahman told Axios.​

"Undoubtedly, there's been a backlash," said Maurice Mitchell, a leader in the Movement for Black Lives coalition and national director of the Working Families Party. "Historically, whenever there's been large social movements, at some point after that you experience some form of backlash. And we're in the midst of that".​

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California opposed Proposition 36, arguing it would "set critical services ablaze" and worsen the issues it claims to address. Critics contend that longer sentences do not deter crime and that just one day in jail is so destabilizing it increases the likelihood of re-arrest. They also note that people impacted by incarceration are 10 times more likely to have a drug overdose than the general population.​

Some progressives have moderated their positions in response to political pressures. Progressive New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani walked back prior positions on crime, notably his support for the "defund the police" effort.​

The Democratic shift on crime carries significant political implications ahead of the 2026 midterms. Recent polling shows 68% of Democrats and 96% of Republicans view crime as a major problem in large cities, with 81% of Americans overall categorizing it as a major issue. Despite Democrats largely opposing Trump's use of the National Guard, the polling presents a dilemma as they must acknowledge crime as a concern while differentiating their stance from the president's.​

California-based GOP consultant Mike Madrid suggests the Democratic focus on crime may play into Trump's hands: "The more Democrats focus on crime, the less they talk about the economy, which is what Trump wants," Madrid told Axios.​

Sam Bregman, a district attorney and Democratic candidate for New Mexico governor in 2026, expressed frustration with his party's recent approach: "Democrats need to get their head(s) out of their asses when it comes to this issue," Bregman told Axios. "If you don't feel safe in your neighborhood, then you're not safe. We, as Democrats, can't ignore that".​

Democratic officials from Seattle to New Orleans have released public safety plans promising faster police response times and expanded officer recruitment in response to Trump's repeated complaints about violent crime. Many Democrats' shift away from the "defund the police" movement has raised the possibility that a GOP-backed crime bill could draw Democratic support, particularly if it includes funds to help cities hire more police.​

Democrats have also begun attacking Trump on crime, noting that his spending cuts have caused reductions in federal law enforcement and that he pardoned individuals who assaulted police during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. "Donald Trump cannot escape accountability when it comes to law and order issues," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated. "His administration epitomizes lawlessness and disorder".​

The evolution represents a dramatic shift from 2020, when police reform and criminal justice transformation dominated Democratic discourse following George Floyd's murder. If 2020 was the year progressives reordered traditional crime and policing politics, 2022 marked the year centrists began regaining their footing, and 2025 appears to have solidified that reversal.​

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