Within minutes of his inauguration Monday, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The move reflects a national trend.
After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor. Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a new year of lawmaking gets underway in state capitols. That comes after voters in several states approved ballot imposing stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug dealing.
Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to election, is set to take the oath of office at noon. He plans a “Day One Action Ceremony” shortly afterward, the Associated Press reports.
“As soon as my hand comes off the Bible, the Kehoe administration will be relentless in our efforts to make Missouri safer,” Kehoe pledged.
Some anti-crime measure are intertwined with efforts to crack down on those living in the U.S. illegally, mirroring an emphasis of President-elect Trump. Many also propose tougher penalties for trafficking fentanyl.
Other measures go beyond that. Some seek stricter sentences for sexual offenses involving children, violent crimes or retail theft rings, which have gained attention from social media videos showing shoplifting crews rampaging through stores.
In Maryland, Democratic state Sen. Ron Watson is sponsoring legislation he said would let prosecutors file felony charges against everyone involved in a group theft if the total value exceeds $1,500, even if each person stole less than that.
Criminals “have become emboldened because they can get away with things and pretty much get a slap on the wrist,” Watson said. “Violent or nonviolent, a crime is a crime. And that crime needs to be punished.”
Many types of crimes rose during the coronavirus pandemic. More recently, the rates of violent crime and many property crimes have trended back down, though shoplifting remains above pre-pandemic levels, according to the think tank Council on Criminal Justice.
People’s sense of security isn’t necessarily tied to statistics. High-profile crimes such as the New Year’s Day attack in New Oorleans, the burning of a woman on the New York subway or the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive outside a New York City hotel can affect perceptions of public safety.
“When you see randomness, brazenness, that makes people feel vulnerable and suggests there is a sense of lawlessness, a breakdown of behavioral norms,” said Adam Gelb of the Council on Criminal Justice. “Many people seem to think that the reforms over the past two decades overshot the mark and there needs to be a rebalancing.”
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