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Longtime Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey has distanced himself from nan defund nan constabulary activity successful nan run-up to his self-described "tough" predetermination this year, contempt caller endorsements from groups advocating that constabulary departments beryllium defunded and promoting a measure that would person overhauled policing practices astatine nan tallness of 2020's protests and riots.
"Senator Casey has a agelong and clear grounds of moving alongside rule enforcement and delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to money bulletproof vests, SWAT gear, constabulary cars, and ballistics shields for officers," Maddy McDaniel, spokesperson for nan Casey campaign, told Fox News Digital this month. "Senator Casey doesn’t support defunding nan police, and he’s voted to artifact national backing from cities and towns that defund their constabulary departments."
The campaign’s consequence comes aft nan longtime Keystone State legislator received endorsements this twelvemonth from pro-defund defense groups Indivisible Philadelphia and nan Pennsylvania authorities section of Indivisible.
"Indivisible Philadelphia and nan #IndivisiblesOfPA enthusiastically support @Bob_Casey for re-election to nan US Senate! #PASen," Indivisible Philadelphia tweeted past month.
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Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaks during a run rally successful Newtown, Pennsylvania, connected Nov. 6, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Indivisible Philadelphia describes itself arsenic a "grassroots statement of volunteers wished to beforehand a progressive schedule by resisting corruption, authoritarianism, and inequality successful our governmental institutions." The group has besides many times advocated for constabulary departments to beryllium defunded, astir notably successful 2020 erstwhile defund nan constabulary and Black Lives Matter protests and riots unfolded successful cities from seashore to coast.
"We won’t extremity until they #DefundThePolice," nan group’s website sounds successful a June 25, 2020, station titled "Make Your Demand!"
"When we said #DefundThePolice we meant less officers connected nan thoroughfare terrorizing Black and Brown residents. We meant moving distant from nan racist strategy of criminalization and penal punishment, and moving toward community-led nationalist information methods and programs," nan station continued, which came aft nan death of George Floyd astatine nan hands of constabulary successful Minneapolis that year.
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The defense group’s leader precocious told Fox News Digital that constabulary should beryllium funded for "policing work" while different costs should beryllium directed to support societal workers and wellness officials to grip non-policing issues successful communities.
"Our position has ever been that constabulary should beryllium funded to do policing work, and that for different kinds of problems successful nan community, capable backing should beryllium provided for wellness attraction professionals, societal workers and intelligence wellness professionals arsenic appropriate," Indivisible Philadelphia group leader Vicki Miller said.
Demonstrators successful Rochester, New York, clasp signs astatine a Sept. 6, 2020, protestation for Daniel Prude, who died aft constabulary put a spit hood complete his caput during his apprehension connected March 23, 2020. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
Casey’s endorsement follows him outlining connected his charismatic Senate page that "we must reform" policing systems successful nan U.S., co-sponsoring nan Justice successful Policing Act of 2020, and moreover drafting nan ire of rule enforcement officials successful nan authorities aft Indivisible Philadelphia threw its support down him.
"At a clip erstwhile location were 4 shootings successful 4 days connected our section nationalist transit system, and rule enforcement crossed nan commonwealth is understaffed, Casey's determination to align himself pinch these defund nan constabulary activists is alarming and highly dangerous," said Folcroft Deputy Police Chief Chris Eiserman, who is besides nan Delaware County FOP Lodge 27 president, during a caller property convention pinch different rule enforcement officials.
Smoke rises from a burning constabulary conveyance connected May 30, 2020, successful Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Casey joined Democrat New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and then-California Sen. Kamala Harris successful 2020 to beforehand nan Justice successful Policing Act of 2020, which was introduced aft Floyd's death. The bill, which did not pass, would person overhauled nan qualified immunity doctrine – which protects constabulary from lawsuits alleging that an charismatic violated a plaintiff's authorities – and provided grants to authorities attorneys wide to behaviour policing believe investigations and create investigation processes for allegations of constabulary misconduct.
The measure besides would person banned choke holds and changed nan usage of unit modular for national officers; made conspiracy to perpetrate a hate crime a national crime; instruction officers to person racial, belief and discriminatory profiling training; and create a national registry of each federal, authorities and section rule enforcement regarding misconduct complaints aliases disciplinary records.
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"We must extremity constabulary brutality and systematic racism successful policing," Casey said successful a property merchandise astir nan measure successful 2020. "It is clip for america to create structural alteration that safeguards each American’s correct to information and adjacent justice. I americium proud to cosponsor nan Justice successful Policing Act of 2020, which will clasp constabulary accountable and amended transparency successful policing."
Police officers successful nan authorities railed against nan measure astatine nan time, arsenic good arsenic an op-ed Casey penned that based on nan authorities would thief reside "systemic racism successful policing."
"For excessively long, we person looked to accrued training aliases accrued resources arsenic if they unsocial will lick nan systemic issues successful our rule enforcement. And, excessively galore times, we person witnessed nan tragic consequences of our inability to afloat instrumentality a broad solution to reside nan group injustice and constabulary brutality that permeates our nation’s history," Casey wrote successful nan op-ed.
Scott L. Bohn, nan executive head of nan Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, fired backmost successful his ain op-ed soon aft Casey’s sentiment portion "seemingly maligned complete 1,000 master and dedicated rule enforcement executives successful nan commonwealth."
"The senator’s commentary, while politically expedient, lends itself to perchance shortsighted decisions that whitethorn person an adverse aliases unintended consequence," Bohn wrote. "The sentiment he expressed does not pass nor does it bespeak nan rule enforcement situation successful Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s master constabulary chiefs are committed to nationalist work and ensuring our communities are safe. Pennsylvanians request to activity together and against societal injustice and make our Commonwealth arsenic safe for each its citizens."
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)
Fox News Digital obtained a transcript of a missive that Casey reportedly sent to constabulary officers who contacted him pinch concerns complete nan bill. In nan letter, he doubled down connected nan authorities that would "put successful spot nan astir important constabulary reforms successful our Nation's history by focusing connected serviceman accountability, information transparency and constabulary practices and training."
"Pennsylvanians and group crossed our Nation are angry, sad, tired and hopeless for change. The execution of George Floyd by a Minneapolis constabulary serviceman has reawakened our nationalist attraction not only to nan important concerns complete nan narration betwixt rule enforcement and those they serve, but to nan hundreds of years of injustice and systemic oppression that led to this tragedy," nan consequence missive reads.
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In 2021, Casey did ballot for an amendment that would person blocked national backing to jurisdictions that defunded nan police, supported nan American Rescue Plan – which provided much than $65 cardinal for Pennsylvania policing costs – and backed authorities past twelvemonth that provided $1 cardinal successful national backing for rule enforcement agencies crossed nan nation.
Casey, who has served arsenic a legislator since 2007, has said that he’s bracing for his "toughest" re-election run this twelvemonth successful an anticipated title against Republican Dave McCormick.
"It’ll beryllium a close, reliable race," he precocious told NBC. "But look, there’s a batch connected nan statement each time. Every clip I’ve tally for nationalist agency successful Pennsylvania, I’ve had to gain nan ballot and nan spot of nan people. And I sewage to do that again."
Dave McCormick (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images/File)
McCormick is an Army combat seasoned who served arsenic nan Commerce Department's undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security arsenic good arsenic undersecretary of nan Treasury Department's Office of International Affairs successful erstwhile President George W. Bush’s administration.
McCormick has received nan endorsement of 47 sheriffs successful nan state, and he took rumor pinch Indivisible Philadelphia’s endorsement of Casey successful a remark to Fox News Digital.
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"Bob Casey headlined an arena for Indivisible Philadelphia wherever he gladly accepted nan endorsement of these Defund nan Police activists, erstwhile again failing to guidelines up for our men and women successful blue. This is simply a group that said, ‘We won't extremity until they defund nan police, called for ‘fewer officers connected nan street,' and advocated to ‘end rate bail.’ Pennsylvania deserves better," McCormick wrote.
Casey has besides received endorsements from rule enforcement, including from Delaware County Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders Jr.
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"Bob Casey has proven he’ll prioritize nationalist information for Delaware County and has stuck his cervix retired to springiness officers nan resources and support they request to do nan job. His force has only proven he’ll prioritize himself," Sanders said successful a remark to Fox News Digital.
The state’s Senate primaries will beryllium held this month. Both Casey and McCormick are moving unopposed successful their respective primaries.
