Jason Rantz: Violence in West Coast cities stems from culture of 'attacking police and policing'

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Democrat-run cities overwhelmed by crime surge

Seattle-area radio host Jason Rantz weighs in on cities like Oakland suffering from a rise in crime.

Far-left demonstrators and rioters have targeted reporters covering "their acts of vandalism and other violence," Seattle-area radio host Jason Rantz told "Fox News Primetime" Wednesday, adding that he has been among those targeted

Rantz told host Mark Steyn that he routinely goes to "riots" in his state because "a lot of media outlets are not going to do that."

"People online notice that when we're there, we take photos and videos," he went on. "They end up screenshotting our faces and telling people our names and hashtagging codes to the mob on the ground saying, ‘Hey, Jason Rantz is out there ... be on the lookout.’"

At a recent demonstration, Rantz added, he was "thankfully" not recognizable because he was wearing a face mask and hat.

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"They do that with the intent to harass, intimidate," he said. "And, yes, I've seen folks who are trying to uncover this sort of thing getting assaulted."

Rantz told Steyn West Coast cities need to stop embracing a culture of "attacking police and policing." He pointed to Oakland, Calif., which has seen "a sharp rise in violent crime," according to the city’s police department.  

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"You’ve had a city that has embraced the [Defund the Police] movement," Rantz said. "What have they done? They've cut the bicycle and foot patrols. They've cut the community resource teams that patrol the neighborhoods."

In response to the spike in crime, Bay Area residents have begun banding together to patrol the streets of Oakland’s Chinatown.

"Citizens should not have to create their own patrols, be it in Oakland or anywhere else," Rantz said. "They should have a fully resourced police department to do the work for them."

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He added that such patrols are not safe.

"Unfortunately, it could end poorly for these individuals who obviously are well-intentioned."

Fox New’s Bradford Betz contributed to this article.