GEORGIA: Jon Ossoff's Pro-Crime Policies Greenlit Drugs & Violent Criminals
Ossoff pretends to be tough on crime, but his preferred policies only help criminals skirt the law.
Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff ran on a 2020 platform of softening penalties for criminals breaking the law. Since winning election to the Senate, Ossoff has openly called for abolishing cash bail, reducing law enforcement's ability to respond to violent offenders, legalizing marijuana, and reducing mandatory sentencing for drug abusers.
"I will work to reverse the militarization of local police forces, enhance due process and human rights protections for all citizens, ban private prisons, end cash bail, reform prisons and raise conditions of incarceration to humane standards, abolish the death penalty, legalize cannabis, and end incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses," Ossoff said on the 2020 campaign trail.
Ossoff claims he does not support defunding the police, but he is an advocate for "demilitarizing" police officers. "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail," he said.
But for crime-ridden cities like Atlanta, a hammer may be exactly what's needed. Known as the "Chicago of the South," Atlanta is now in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S. Its heavily armed gangs operate like military organizations, and gang violence is responsible for 65 percent of all crime in Georgia.
Ossoff’s support for eliminating cash bail—which would allow individuals accused of crimes to be released before trial—raises concerns for many Georgians, as similar policies have been linked to increased public safety risks in several U.S. cities.
In Illinois, the Chicago Bail Fund released 162 individuals charged with serious felonies. More than 20 percent of those released were later charged with further crimes. One study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice showed that 43.8 percent of individuals released under New York's new bail law were rearrested within two years.
Ossoff also seeks to release nonviolent drug offenders back on the streets, but the policy could unintentionally become a major win for violent gangs. A 2020 study by the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council found that over 90 percent of gangs profited from drug use.
The Georgia Drug Threat Assessment found that the leading drug sold by gangs in Georgia is crack cocaine—which has an 84 percent relapse rate within the first four months. Gangs also sell large amounts of heroin, which has a relapse rate of 96.68 percent in the first year.
Returning criminally addicted individuals to the street may land Georgia in the same position as Chicago, Illinois, and New York City—while boosting the customer base of gangs.
Sen. Ossoff presents himself as a tough-on-crime legislator, but his policies could contribute to rising crime rates in Georgia and place law-abiding citizens at greater risk.
It's time for a New Civil Rights Act and criminal justice reform to ⤵️
— Ossoff HQ (@TeamOssoff) June 4, 2020
- End race & class disparities
- Reverse militarization of police
- Reform prisons & enforce humane standards
- Ban private prisons
- End cash bail
- Abolish the death penalty
- Reform drug laws
(RELATED: The Left Spends Millions to Return Criminals to our Streets)
Georgia Can't Afford More Crime
Georgia cannot handle a wave of criminals returning to the streets for another chance at chaos—the state is barely holding on.
Between 2019 and 2022, Georgians saw a sharp rise in violent crime. In just three years, murder increased by 66 percent, rape by 61 percent, and aggravated assault by 55 percent.
Even more disturbing, human trafficking cases skyrocketed. According to FBI data, commercial sex trafficking increased by 287 percent, while involuntary servitude rose by 333 percent.
Rather than backing law enforcement and supporting harsher penalties for repeat offenders, Democrats like Sen. Ossoff champion policies that weaken accountability. Defunding police, eliminating cash bail, and partnering with activist nonprofits to "reform" the justice system has been one giant failure that simply helps criminals.
Law-abiding Georgians need to elect leaders that promote and defend the rule of law.
