California proves it: Enforcing the law stops crime

Who knew that simply enforcing the law could deter crime? Apparently, everyone but Democrats.

Democrats are furious over President Trump’s decision to federalize law enforcement in Washington, D.C., and deploy the National Guard to restore order. Too bad. From California shoplifting to illegal immigration to crime nationwide, sometimes the obvious answer is the right one: Enforcement works.

Democrats didn’t oppose enforcement out of ignorance. They opposed it because they knew it would work.

In 2014, Democrats convinced Californians that their problems were the result of a broken justice system — one that incarcerated too many people and created “unconstitutional prison overcrowding.”

They sold Proposition 47 as the fix. The measure downgraded “certain low-level offenses, such as drug possession and thefts of property under $950, from potential felonies to misdemeanors.”

Californians bought it, passing Proposition 47 with 60% support. They paid for it dearly over the next decade.

Those “low-level offenses” became high-level problems. Shoplifting surged. Fewer drug prosecutions meant less mandatory recovery treatment, leaving addicts on the street, fueling homelessness.

By 2024, Californians had finally had enough. Proposition 36 was written to undo Proposition 47. Despite Democrat opposition, Proposition 36 passed with 71% support — and overwhelmingly in all 58 counties.

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom first refused to include enforcement in his budget. It was only partially — and grudgingly — funded by Democrats who had opposed the measure.

Early returns: Enforcement works

Even without full funding, Prop. 36 has worked wonders.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said in a recent interview:

We’re seeing a change, and we’re hearing about a change. First, law enforcement across California has been excited about having these new tools to go after the repeat thieves. And we’re hearing directly from the law enforcement officers that they feel emboldened again, empowered. They’re responding to calls that maybe they wouldn’t used to respond to, because now there’s the real potential for accountability.

We’re also hearing from the retailers themselves, the big-box stores, the mom-and-pop shops. They’re seeing a difference. They’re seeing a difference in day-to-day theft that used to be out of control prior to Prop 36. Because, you remember, prior to Prop. 36, somebody could come in and steal every day, ten times a day, every day of the week, and, as long as it was under $950, it was a ticket.

Since implementation, Prop. 36 has led to more than 3,000 felony arrests. Eighty percent of those had prior felony convictions, and 25% had convictions for violent felonies.

Same story at the border

Remarkably, the enforcement that worked in California for shoplifting has worked with illegal immigration too.

Customs and Border Protection reported July’s nationwide encounters were the lowest ever: 24,630 — 90% below the monthly average under the Biden administration. Border Patrol apprehensions hit an all-time low of 6,177. The month averaged just 148 apprehensions per day, setting single-day record lows of 88 on the southwest border and 116 nationwide.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s April 29 report for Trump’s first 100 days showed 66,463 illegal aliens arrested and 65,682 removed — including 2,288 gang members, 1,329 accused or convicted sex offenders, and 498 accused or convicted murderers.

Nationwide crime statistics for the first half of 2025 showed similar results. Eleven of 13 major offenses dropped, with only domestic violence up and drug offenses unchanged.

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Photo by BENJAMIN HANSON/Getty Images

Homicides fell 17%, while aggravated assaults declined 10%, gun assaults dropped 21%, sexual assaults were down 10%, robbery was down 20%, and carjackings slid 24%. Residential burglaries dropped 19%, larcenies fell 12%, and shoplifting declined 12%.

For those on the left who say that nationwide crime was not Biden’s fault, the American people disagreed. According to RealClearPolitics’ average of national polling, Biden’s last approval rating on crime was 38% — below his 39% overall approval rating.

Democrats can’t play dumb

Democrats have repeatedly blamed amorphous “systems” for crime. For Prop. 47, it was “too much incarceration.” For the Biden administration’s border crisis, it was America’s “broken immigration system.” Biden even claimed he needed “new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed” — something he could have done from day one.

On the national level, they downplayed rising crime — even as Americans saw it firsthand and the FBI later revised its statistics upward.

Enforcement works. Everyone knows it, including Democrats — and especially the most liberal among them. That’s why they pushed for less of it: Prop. 47, open borders, “defund the police,” and “abolish ICE.” They only began to walk back those positions when the public rejected their manifest failures.

Democrats didn’t oppose enforcement out of ignorance. They opposed it because they knew it would work.