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| Byron Donalds |
CHICAGO, IL — During a Trump-Vance 2024 press briefing held on Tuesday in Chicago, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) raised alarms over what he believes is a troubling trend in the United States: the underreporting of crime. According to Donalds, the issue stems from a combination of low morale among police officers and a perceived lack of consequences for criminal activity.
"Law enforcement officials across the country, along with business owners, tell us that retail theft crimes are rampant, yet the data from some lawmakers and at state and federal levels doesn’t seem to support this," Donalds said. He argued that the discrepancy might be due to underreporting, driven by a widespread belief that calling the police often results in little to no action.
"Underreporting is a real concern because you have low morale amongst police officers around the country," Donalds explained. "People are already seeing that nothing's going to happen, so why call the police? There's a report—though I need to dive deeper into it—suggesting that some cities might not be reporting all their crime data."
Donalds linked this issue to a broader problem within certain cities where, he claims, district attorneys are too lenient on criminals. "When you have a lack of morale in cities surrounding police departments, police officers start to think, 'Why would I arrest that guy when the DA is just going to turn around and cut them loose anyway?' It doesn't even make any sense, and it doesn’t help anybody," he added.
Citing an example from his home state of Florida, Donalds contrasted this with Lee County, where he says morale among law enforcement is high due to strong support from local and state leadership, including himself, Governor Ron DeSantis, and former President Donald Trump. "I was with my sheriff in Lee County a couple of days ago and asked him how staffing was going, and he told me, 'I have more officers than I know what to do with,'" Donalds shared.
He attributed this to the supportive environment for law enforcement in Florida, which has attracted officers from other states. "When law enforcement officials hear that their service is valued and honored, like in Lee County, Florida, they say, 'Why am I working in New York? I could be in Florida where it's better.' And that's what people are doing," Donalds noted.
Donald's comments reflect a growing concern among some lawmakers and citizens that crime data in the U.S. may not fully capture the reality on the ground, potentially leading to inadequate responses to rising crime rates. As the 2024 election approaches, this issue is likely to remain a central talking point for the Trump-Vance campaign as they emphasize their commitment to law and order.
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