Los Angeles has seen a drastic increase in violent crime over the past year, including an increased homicide rate of almost 200%. One LA County Sheriff blames the “defund the police” movement which he believes to be emboldening criminals and decreasing the police’s abilities to quell the rising violence.

Violent crime has found its way into most LA neighborhoods over the past year, including those which are very unaccustomed to experiencing violence or unsafe conditions within their own communities. Back in March, a 30-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the backyard of his $2.5 million LA home. Wealthy neighborhoods that were previously considered very safe have been forced to come to terms with what it would really look like if the police force was stripped of its power.

In an interview with Fox News, LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva blamed the “defund the police” movement for the increased violent crime spreading throughout the LA area and emboldening criminals.

He specifically stressed the importance of carefully electing officials into office, blaming LA County District Attorney George Gascón and his efforts to reform the law enforcement system for part of the recent surges in violence. “They need to really pick and choose very carefully because for them it’s very very easy to say ‘oh yeah all cops are bad’, and ‘let’s reform and defund the police’,” said Villanueva, “yet they’re the very first ones who pick up the 911 when someone’s crawling over the back gate trying to get into their house.”

The areas where the “defund the police” movement has experienced the most support have been the areas where police activity has dropped the most. Consequently, these are also the areas where violent crime rates have increased at an abnormal rate. A report from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund shows that, since June 2020, police activity has dropped 48% and murders have risen 56% in 10 major cities where cops were largely ridiculed.