2021 VA Governor's race: on Crime
Mark Herring:
More resources for public safety and law enforcement
Attorney General Mark R. Herring is working every day to promote safe, successful communities in every corner of the Commonwealth. He has forged strong relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, and has made
additional public safety and law enforcement tools and resources available to Virginia communities.Attorney General Herring is leading a transformation in the way Virginia works to prevent and respond to sexual and domestic violence.
He is leading a $3.4 million project to completely eliminate Virginia's backlog of more than 2,000 untested rape kits. He chaired Gov. Terry McAuliffe's Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence, which helped make
Virginia a national leader on the issue. He has helped implement Lethality Assessment Protocol, an innovative tool to prevent domestic violence and homicide, in dozens of communities around the Commonwealth.
Source: 2020-21 Virginia Governor campaign website HerringForAG.com
Nov 1, 2017
Jennifer Carroll Foy:
Prohibit police using chokeholds; address bail reform
As a Delegate, I:- Sponsored legislation to address cash bail reform, the ban on parole, and the issue of "driving poor"--all of which contribute to mass incarceration and cyclical patterns of joblessness and poverty within minority communities
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Sponsored a bill prohibiting the use of neck restraints, such as chokeholds, by law enforcement.
Source: 2021 Virginia governor campaign site JenniferCarrollFoy.com
Feb 21, 2021
Jennifer McClellan:
System focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation
Virginia and the nation must reform a criminal justice system that too often disproportionately impacts communities of color, focuses more on punishment and incarceration than prevention and rehabilitation, and doles out punishments that
are disproportionate to crimes. Virginia must also provide transparency and accountability for police misconduct and civilian oversight of law enforcement and criminal justice.
Source: 2021 Virginia governor campaign website JennMcClellanVA.com
Feb 18, 2021
Kirk Cox:
Invest $50 million for law enforcement salaries
[Police policy]:- Invest $50 million in the first year of a Cox administration for law enforcement salaries
- Prioritize the implementation of the State Police Pay Plan
- Eliminate salary compression for veteran law enforcement officers
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Raise Base Pay for Troopers and Sheriff's Deputies
- Convene a Leadership Group representing various law enforcement groups within the first 100 days to plan the $50 million commitment and address structural salary issues plaguing law enforcement.
Source: 2021 Virginia governor campaign website KirkCox.com
Feb 19, 2021
Terry McAuliffe:
Shift from military-style equipment to support services
For too long, Virginia has embraced a "tough on crime" approach to criminal justice that has focused on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Terry will deliver the criminal justice reforms necessary to create an equitable criminal justice system,
one that is focused on second chances. He will invest resources in education, housing, and behavioral health services, shifting resources away from military-style tactics and equipment.He will invest in key areas to professionalize law enforcement
agencies and improve accountability--through training and accreditation, community policing, and increased community engagement. He will examine areas including pretrial incarceration, investing in prevention and re-entry services, making sure that
addiction is treated like the health crisis it is, and breaking down barriers that prevent individuals with criminal records from being productive members of our society.
Source: 2021 Virginia governor campaign website Terry McAuliffe.com
Dec 22, 2020
Pete Snyder:
During mob violence, governor focused on criminal rights
This summer Richmond was ravaged by mobs, destroying small businesses. What did the governor do? He called a special session, not to figure
out how do we get schools open, not preparing for a vaccine to make sure we can distribute it, but to focus on restoring the rights of criminals.
Source: Fairfax City Patch on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
May 5, 2021
Amanda Chase:
We've never fully funded our law enforcement
Recently, defunding the police has been a major talking point in the state and across the country. Chase believes that it's a terrible policy to push. "We need to defend our police, not defund our police," she said. "I've said we've never fully funded
our law enforcement. I do believe law enforcement is a core function of government. We need to keep our communities safe; we need to keep our businesses safe and our schools safe.
Source: Smith Mountain Eagle on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
Nov 25, 2020
Lee Carter:
Rethink what policing means, reduce size of police
Carter, a self-described socialist, said his stance on policing sets him apart in a party that boosted police budgets and passed reform bills with so many exceptions "they might as well be made out of swiss cheese." "We have got to rethink
what policing means in this Commonwealth," Carter said. "We've got to reduce the size of the police in this Commonwealth to what makes sense to have them doing. And nothing more."
Source: Virginia Mercury on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
Terry McAuliffe:
I'd like to see every police officer have a body camera
McAuliffe said he supports accountability and transparency but believes in "working with the police" to ensure they have proper training. "I happen to be a full supporter of body cams. I'd like to see every police officer actually have a body camera so
that we can all actually see what's going on," McAuliffe said. "Thank goodness we had all of those individuals there that had those cellphones when George Floyd was murdered."
Source: Virginia Mercury on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
Terry McAuliffe:
We have racist criminal justice system
McAuliffe said. "I'm about getting people parole. When I was governor I had to replace the entire Parole Board because they didn't believe in doing it.
I leaned in hard on these issues. Because we have a racist criminal justice system."
Source: Virginia Mercury on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial debate
Apr 6, 2021
Mark Herring:
Reform cash bail; more diversity in judiciary
In the upcoming legislative session, I will be pushing for needed reforms in the following areas:Cash bail reform: The cash bail system can lead to bizarre outcomes where dangerous people with money can go free while nonviolent people sit in jail
for days, weeks or months because they can't afford to pay bail. This can cause a person to lose their job, housing and support systems. Virginia should move away from the use of cash bail as its default for low level offenses and instead expand
pretrial services that have proven to be effective and cheaper.
Building a more inclusive, diverse judiciary: Unfortunately, Virginia's diversity is not reflected in its judiciary. While Virginia's population is about 20% African American,
10% Hispanic/Latino and 7% Asian, only an extremely small percentage of Circuit and District Court judges are minorities. As Democrats take the lead on judicial selection, consideration must be given to inclusion, diversity, and representation.
Source: Virginian-Pilot opEd for 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
Nov 17, 2019
Jennifer Carroll Foy:
Reform our broken criminal justice system; ban chokeholds
As the first public defender elected to the legislature, I'm proud to have championed many of the efforts to ensure racial equity and reform our broken criminal justice system, from the legalization of marijuana to my bill to ban chokeholds.
While politicians of the past refused to repeal the death penalty and gave passes to bad police, I'll prioritize ending the underlying inequities that contribute to the two-tier criminal justice system that exists in the Commonwealth.
Source: Woodbridge Patch on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
May 18, 2018
Glenn Youngkin:
Rejects "defund the police"; for qualified immunity
Youngkin threw his support behind a number of hot-button issues. He staged himself as fierce defender of the second amendment and pledged to restore voter identification laws. He also supported school choice, pledged to ban critical race theory
from public education and denounced efforts to reform math instruction. Youngkin rejected calls to "defund the police" and end qualified immunity--the legal defense that makes it more difficult to sue law enforcement for civil rights violations.
Source: WRIC ABC-8 News on 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial race
May 11, 2021
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023