Virginia Democrats Eliminate Operation Ceasefire, Upending Public Safety in the Commonwealth
Arlington, VA – In a move that will both confuse and infuriate all Virginians, the state House of Delegates Appropriations Committee yesterday eliminated the Operation Ceasefire Grant Program, championed by former Virginia Attorney General and Protecting Americans Action Fund (PAAF) Chairman Jason Miyares, which addresses public safety, placing a focus on violence reducing strategies and prosecuting repeat violent offenders.
Three districts that have benefited directly from Operation Ceasefire include Virginia Beach City, Smyth County, and Spotsylvania County. Commonwealth’s Attorneys know firsthand the dangerous consequences of abandoning programs that go after repeat violent felons and drug dealers. Failure to prosecute these cases makes Virginians less safe.
“Democrats in Richmond are dismantling a proven program that has provided necessary resources across the commonwealth to prosecute crime, including addressing the surge of juvenile gun violence in my community,” said Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle. “These programs matter. Public safety is a basic government function in which failure is not an option.”
“As my office has been the beneficiary of a Violent Crimes Prosecutor grant under this program, the legislature’s ill-advised actions hit us where it hurts most,” said Symth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip “Bucky” Blevins. “I am shocked and disappointed that Virginia Democrats are trading targeted crime enforcement for less accountable spending initiatives.”
“Operation Ceasefire Virginia was an enormous resource for Spotsylvania in prosecuting the worst of the worst – rape, robbery and murder,” said Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey. “It will undoubtedly be more difficult to keep our community safe without its support.”
Operation Ceasefire was established as a targeted, data-driven strategy to reduce crime by focusing on a small population of repeat offenders that commit the majority of violent crime across the commonwealth. By focusing on three areas – prevention, intervention, and prosecution – General Miyares sought to elevate community partnerships, restore public confidence in law enforcement, and keep families safe. In just the first years of the program’s rollout, statewide murder rates dropped by 30%, overall violent crime fell by 11%, and Virginia saw the largest single-year reduction in overdose deaths of any state in the nation.
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The Protecting Americans Action Fund’s mission is to elect conservative, rule of law prosecutors who will enforce our laws and promote conservative public policy solutions to keep criminals off our streets and create safe environments for business and job creators.
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