As violent crime continues to increase nationally, in about 20 cities with Democratic mayors who have called for defunding the police, those leaders have spent millions in tax dollars for their own private security.
This is according to a new report by Forbes auditor Open the Books through Freedom of Information Act.
BREAKING: Double standards! Why does protection of the people matter less?@everydimeonline https://t.co/byRk3HCvze
— OpenTheBooks (@open_the_books) July 20, 2021
Defund For Thee, Not For Me
FOIA requests revealed that Chicago spent $17.3 million between 2015 and 2020 to guard “unnamed city officials.”
The city’s mayor is Democrat Lori Lightfoot. While Lightfoot has said in the past she is opposed to cutting police funds, records show the city quietly cut 400 police officer positions in 2020.
During that time her personal security detail hit an all-time high of $3.4 million for 22 officers.
Chicago was just one Democrat-led city with such disparities.
Fox Business noted, “In San Francisco, $12.4 million was reportedly spent between 2015 and 2020 to protect Mayor London Breed as the city said it would divest $120 million from its police budget over two years to be put towards health programs.”
“Security detail spending for Breed amounted to $1.7 million in 2015; $417,489 in 2016; $2.5 million in 2017; $2.7 million in 2018; $2.5 million in 2019; and $2.6 million in 2020,” Fox Business observed.
“In New York, the city council approved slashing $1 billion from its $6 billion police budget, with $354 million to be reallocated to mental health, homelessness and education services,” Fox Business reported.
“However, spending on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s security detail reportedly cost taxpayers $358,000 during his failed presidential bid,” the outlet noted.
There were more examples.
Approximately $3.6 million was spent in 2020 for police to protect Baltimore Mayor Brendon Scott, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, according to Fox Baltimore.
This money was spent despite the city’s police budget being cut by $22 million.
Despite efforts to defund police, these Democrat-led cities spent millions on private security for mayors https://t.co/VfKJWxgXJO #FoxBusiness
— He's Just Livin’ The Meme (@ImLivinTheMeme) July 27, 2021
Protection For Politicians
In San Diego, Democrat Mayor Todd Gloria was protected by a dozen full time officers at the cost of $2.6 million to taxpayers.
Yet, Gloria’s budget reportedly asked for $4.3 million in cuts to the police overtime budget.
Fox Business noted that “In Denver, where police officers have been replaced by healthcare workers to address mental health calls, nearly $4.2 million has reportedly been spent over the last six years on Mayor Michael Hancock’s security detail.”
According to Forbes, Open The Books is still waiting for replies from the following cities: Minneapolis; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Milwaukee; Oakland, California; and Camden, New Jersey.
Yesterday, The Political Insider covered a poll of Detroit residents who, by a margin of 9-1, supported more police, not less.
The gap between far-left calls to “defund the police,” the views of citizens, and the actions of politicians appears to be a gaping chasm.
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