KTTH OPINION

Rantz: Democrat Federal Way mayor reveals enforcing the law actually reduces crime. Shocker!

Dec 16, 2024, 11:41 AM

federal way shooting...

Federal Way police vehicle responding to a crime scene. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

It turns out enforcing the law actually lowers crime. Shocking revelation, right? Yet for years, Washington’s Democratic lawmakers have pretended that their soft-on-crime policies are somehow innovative and compassionate, leaving cities to clean up the chaos. But Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell defied the left-wing insanity, restored accountability, and proved just how effective common sense can be in reducing crime.

Under Ferrell’s leadership, Federal Way has delivered remarkable but obvious results. Year-to-date, murder is down 50%, robbery is down 42%, motor vehicle theft has plummeted by a staggering 52%, and overall crime is set to drop by an anticipated 10-12% by year’s end. How did this happen? Ferrell made a simple yet revolutionary decision: enforce the law. In fact, drug arrests are up 402%.

“Almost every robbery that occurred in our community—nearly every one—occurred in a stolen car. And they were using these stolen cars to smash into stores or to commit these violent robberies and then take off, and we literally couldn’t pursue them,” Ferrell explained on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

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When you enforce the law in Federal Way or anywhere else, crimes go down?

In 2021, Democrats passed legislation banning police vehicular pursuits in nearly all cases. It led to a surge in stolen cars, many of which were used to drive through storefronts during burglaries. In 2024, facing the threat of a popular voter-backed initiative, enough Democrats voted with Republicans to allow police pursuits again.

Once police were allowed to chase suspects again, car thefts — and the crimes tied to them — dropped precipitously.

“I saw it developing earlier this year,” Ferrell added, “a 50% reduction in car theft because of the pursuit law (being reversed).”

Ferrell’s administration also cracked down on drug crimes, another driver of theft and gun violence thanks to the gang presence in Federal Way.

After Democrats effectively legalized drugs in 2021, refusing to fix a felony possession law the Democrat-controlled Washington Supreme Court declared unconstitutional, drug crimes — and fatal overdoses — surged. Downtown cores of Seattle, Everett, Spokane and Tacoma became hotbeds of drug activity. And open-air drug use and sales didn’t stay confined to larger cities; they spread to Federal Way.”

It’s not an accident drug arrests in Federal Way have skyrocketed by 402%. The enforcement against “street-level narcotic activity” is critical to Ferrell.

“Small amounts of cocaine, heroin (and) fentanyl (are) causing destruction in our communities and deaths. But we need to move up the ladder,” Ferrell said of increasing police action against drug dealers and the people or entities funding them.

For addicts, Ferrell believes in the role of municipal and district courts serving as “treatment courts.”

“Instead of just getting a conviction and closing the case with a fine, you can get these people in — suspect some jail time, get them to treatment, and no criminal law violations,” he said. “If they don’t get the message, they go back to jail. If they do, they’re back on the path to recovery.”

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Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell is a rare Democrat, so will others follow his lead to tackle crime in Washington?

Federal Way mayor Jim Ferrell was always one of the few Democrat outliers on crime. Virtually from the start of the Democrats’ soft-on-crime policy push, he said it was a mistake and would lead to a culture of lawlessness. Contrast the Federal Way approach with the chaos in cities like Seattle, where Democrats continue to allow addiction and crime inseparable parts of daily life.

Homeless encampments fueled by drugs have turned into hubs of theft and violence. Homeless drug addicts steal from already-struggling businesses to feed their habit. While it’s gotten slightly better in spite of progressive policy, Seattle’s slow response to allowing police to enforce drug laws has created a perfect storm of unchecked addiction and skyrocketing crime rates.

But will Democrats in power follow Ferrell’s lead? He’s hopeful.

“Most legislators who have come out of city government, don’t approach people with a left or a right philosophy,” Ferrell said. “It’s about a solving problem philosophy, and that’s what we all need to do. We just need to look at what is the issue. And what I love about city government, there’s nothing partisan about garbage pickup or road repair. What’s the common sense solution here, and how do we get to it?”

Not all Washington Democrats are on board, yet. The state legislature appears to be more progressive than it was when the soft-on-crime policies were initially passed. Many Democrats resisted changing the vehicular pursuit law, allowing car thieves and violent criminals to evade capture for months.

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Refreshing but obvious

It’s refreshing to see a Democratic mayor reject the dangerous policies championed by his own party.

“Partisanship goes out the window when your car has been robbed or your house has been burglarized,” Ferrell said.

Of course, challenges remain. Organized crime continues to play a significant role in trafficking drugs and coordinating theft. But the lesson here is simple: policies matter.

Cities that prioritize public safety see results; those that embrace progressive fantasies see chaos. Federal Way’s success is proof that enforcing the law works. Yet too many Democratic leaders remain willfully blind to the connection between their policies and the crime waves plaguing their cities.

For those still in denial, Ferrell’s message couldn’t be clearer: “We owe it to the people to make sure they can go about their lives without being fearful of violence or crime. Drugs destroy communities.”

Federal Way has shown that crime doesn’t have to be inevitable—it’s the result of choices made by Democrats in Olympia. And when you choose to enforce the law, good things happen. Who could’ve guessed?

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, InstagramYouTube and Facebook.

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Rantz: Democrat Federal Way mayor reveals enforcing the law actually reduces crime. Shocker!