Harris has a long history of finding and implementing such public safety solutions. She has consistently sought to improve public safety by marrying more effective accountability for serious crime and wrongdoing with robust investment into prevention strategies. In recent speeches, Harris has highlighted her experience prosecuting serious crime, including transnational and multistate criminal organizations and “predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, [and] cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.” Over the course of her career as a prosecutor and nearly three decades serving in law enforcement, the record shows Harris has exercised independent judgment while always prioritizing public safety. The Biden-Harris administration has also embraced this approach, and the nation is seeing the benefits: All categories of violent crime are now declining significantly, including a historic drop in gun violence, with most other less-serious crime declining as well. Similarly, contrary to attacks mounted by critics, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), has a record of implementing smart public safety solutions—including through effective gun violence prevention measures, strategies to improve police-community relations, and solutions to reduce the harm caused by the opioid epidemic.
As misinformation and false accusations mount, it is crucial to separate myth from fact. This series aims to do so by examining how public safety policies embraced by both Harris and Walz have proved effective at both holding people accountable for crime and preventing harm to begin with.