Editorial: Veto Legislature attack on the local crime fight | editorial

A few years ago, our state was beaten up by a wave of crime and was supported by a notoriously punishable-friendly, enemy legislative with victims who have left it for hard-hit local governments to find out how to react.

Since the legislature of the state abandoned the fight against crime at every front – hard drugs, car theft, illegal immigration, as they call it – took over a number of cities in Colorado.

Some municipalities have imposed stiff rates than the state for shoplifting and motor vehicle theft. Some made it clear that they would continue to work with the federal authorities that wanted to catch the legally stuck laws that had entered the country illegally.

Some cities have also increased the police to close the justice gap created by a Capitol that had become the crime. Just last week, the Gazette, such as Colorados No. 3 City, Aurora, reported the use of police hunts on the persecution of stolen vehicles. The city had previously issued a law that had imposed the carind thieves an obligatory minimum prison period.

Colorado headed the nation in Auto -theft for two years, 2022 and 2023, and Aurora was one of the places that wore the main load. Due to Aurora's local measures, the Gazette reported, the motor vehicle theft has dropped considerably.

Incredible – if not surprisingly – the same legislation in Colorado, which has gutted the crime fight at the state level, now wants to destroy the local efforts like Aurora. It was somehow “unconstitutional” for community courts to bring shoplifting in prison when the state law leaves it off the hook, and the “justice reform” rim catcher of the ruling Democrats on Capitol has caused the legislator to adopt a law that essentially brought in the local procedure.

House Bill 25-1147, which still requires the governor's OK, before becoming legally, it forbids the urban courts to impose tougher punishments as state courts for the same crimes. It would make it as difficult according to the local laws as it is under state law to keep career criminal series dealers, robbers, car thieves, drug dealers at street level in prison.

We ask Governor Jared Polis to stand by the local Colorado communities who stand despite an AWOL legislative and Veto HB 25-1147-Des criminal element.

Although Polis is characteristically shy to promise a veto before the arrival of a law at his desk, the invoice has been clearly criticizing for weeks. That is encouraging.

His office published an explanation on Friday in which he repeated his concerns.

“The governor focuses on making Colorado one of the 10 safest states and is skeptical of actions that can restrict the ability of local governments to improve public security in our communities and neighborhoods,” says the explanation. “The governor has heard various concerns that cities and victims have raised from all over the state and will weigh these objections in his consultations on the final draft law.”

A number of mayors from both political parties, including from Colorado's largest cities, also wrote the governor to demand a veto. No wonder; They are at the forefront and do not have the time or patience for the absurd political recipes of the legislator.

Even outrageous in the attempt by the legislator to undermine the local law and the proper order is that it was the state legislators who primarily created the conviction. They took measures such as the Senate Bill 21-271 in 2021 and decriminalized far-reaching crimes without taking into account the consequences.

The legislature of the state undermines their fundamental responsibility to protect the public – in favor of criminals. The least that you can do now is to avoid, while the local governments come and do their work for you.

The Gazette editorial board