Sen. Tim Scott rips defund police movement: ‘Demonizing officers results in crime spike’

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Defunding police, demonizing officers results in crime spike: Sen. Tim Scott

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss the surge of violent crime.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told "The Faulkner Focus" on Thursday that the surge in violent crime is "devastating" and that it’s "expected" when there are growing calls to defund the police. 

"You cannot make police officers the antagonist in the story. No one wants that," Scott told Fox News host Harris Faulkner. 

Scott made the comments after Attorney General Merrick Garland unveiled a plan to give federal help to cities around the nation in an effort to reduce violent crime. The announcement comes one year after the murder of George Floyd, which sparked new riots and violent protests. 

"I think the Democrats, literally led by the liberal elite, have made a bad calculation and it's costing lives," Scott said. "We're seeing that in Los Angeles. We're seeing in Minneapolis, we're seeing that in Detroit. We're seeing in the D.C. Baltimore, violent crime is significantly higher and murders, Harris, murders are through the roof."

The South Carolina senator added when Americans "demonize officers, take away the resources,"they can’t expect police to do their job that "desperately" needs to be done.

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A Fox News Poll demonstrates 73% of voters believe there is more crime in the nation than a year ago, and 54% say there is more crime in their own local area. Some strategists warned the crime spike could be "bad political news" for Democrats. 

"There is a reality on the streets of America that we need character-driven officers coming into areas that everybody else is running from," Scott told Faulkner. "One of the reasons why I'm optimistic about police reform is we start the conversation talking with the police so that when we talk about reform, we're not punishing or demonizing."

Scott went on to say with the proper police reform and legislation, officers will have "better relationships in the communities."

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Earlier this week, the family of George Floyd visited Capitol Hill and met with the South Carolina senator, President Biden, along with other top lawmakers, in hopes to reach an agreement on police reform legislation. Scott is pushing to finalize the bill in the month of June. 

In an interview with MSNBC, Scott’s democratic colleague Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, praised the South Carolina senator’s efforts in leading the bipartisan negotiations. 

"I have had moments in this negotiation that have given me solace and strength as I've watched Tim Scott share stories about his own encounters with police," Booker told MSNBC. "He is not caving to the politics of this. He is sincere. We may have disagreements on a lot of the parts of the bill, but I'm telling you, as a Black man, Tim Scott is sincere in wanting to see us address these problems."

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Scott reacted and said that was "awfully kind" and appreciated Booker’s remarks. The South Carolina senator added he had a few "really challenging experiences" in the past with police officers. 

"…Stop[ped] 19 times in the last 20 years as an African-American driving without speeding, simply just driving while Black," Scott told Harris. "But at the same time, I've gone door to door with police officers delivering Christmas presents in the poorest communities in my neighborhoods."

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The South Carolina senator mentioned most officers are "good people, doing good work for very low pay" and Americans need to understand both "sides of the coin."

"I have confidence in our law enforcement. I know that we can make it better. We can make it safer for the officers and the communities," Scott told Faulkner. "That's why I'm at the table, because I've experienced both sides…I come out a champion for officers and will champion the cause of making communities safer…"