By: Senator Mike Regan, Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee
Recently, my colleague Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman called on the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The respectable thing would be for DA Krasner to step down on his own but considering his blatant denial that crime in Philadelphia has risen significantly, I suspect the impeachment process may be the only path forward.
Over the past year, the rise of lawlessness in the City of Philadelphia has reached historic and unprecedented proportions, and it is imperative that action be taken to reverse the current trajectory of the city and restore confidence and safety for its residents and visitors alike.
The murder and mayhem that has transpired is the direct result of DA Larry Krasner’s liberal agenda and revolving cellblock door policies. By changing the bail process and refusing to prosecute offenders, DA Krasner has put people at greater risk of being victimized. He has turned a blind eye to the crime that is ravaging the City of Philadelphia – the city he has sworn an oath to protect as its top law enforcement officer.
Unfortunately, he is not enforcing the laws at all, and the more than 550 murders last year – a grim record-setting level – speaks volumes about his failure to do his job. DA Krasner’s lack of action and prosecutions, as well as his release of violent criminals, has caused heartbreak throughout Philadelphia and the rest of the Commonwealth and is negatively impacting city businesses and tourism. Who wants to visit the City of Brotherly Love and walk the same streets as the signers of the Declaration of Independence when the chance of being the victim of a violent crime is so high?
I recently visited Philadelphia and toured some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in our nation. I also toured the Philadelphia Police Department’s Office of Forensic Science (OFS) and witnessed firsthand the multiple evidence rooms filled with illegal firearms used to commit violent crimes. The Commander of the OFS told me that in 2021 alone, they collected over 40,000 casings used in shootings across the city.
As a retired U.S. Marshal, I spent nearly a quarter century enforcing the laws of our nation and put thousands of criminals behind bars, many of them in the City of Philadelphia. As Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, I pledge to do everything in my power to make sure that each resident, business owner, and visitor feels safe in not only Philadelphia but every community in this great Commonwealth.
DA Krasner operates as though no one deserves to be incarcerated, but those that commit a crime with a gun cannot be allowed to control the city, and they should be locked up. DA Krasner’s complete and utter negligence must be stopped. Therefore, I urge the House of Representatives to initiate the impeachment process. Philadelphians – and all Pennsylvanians – deserve to have the confidence that laws will be enforced and violent criminals will be taken off the streets and put behind bars.
Senator Mike Regan represents Pennsylvania’s 31st Senatorial District covering parts of Cumberland and York Counties.
CONTACT: Bruce McLanahan, 717-787-8524