Pennsylvania state reps working to impeach Philadelphia DA condemn underreported crime data
Philadelphia District Attorney is facing an impeachment effort over skyrocketing crime in the city
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three Republican Pennsylvania lawmakers, working to impeach Philadelphia’s liberal district attorney over skyrocketing crime in the city, condemned a new report showing Philadelphia did not fully report its crime data to the FBI for 2021’s historically bloody year.
"In Larry Krasner’s Philadelphia, this is unsurprising," Pennsylvania state Reps. Josh Kail, Torren Ecker and Tim O’Neal said in a joint statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "When there is lawlessness and unchecked crime occurring every day, one can only imagine it is hard to keep track of."
The lawmakers were reacting to a new report detailing that Philadelphia failed to voluntarily report three months of crime data to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System last year, when the city notched the highest number of homicides in its history. Local police officials cite the city implementing a new crime reporting system for the gap in data.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We know the Philadelphia Police Department is doing its job and trying to keep Pennsylvanians safe in Philadelphia, but when you have a District Attorney in Larry Krasner, who does not prosecute the laws on the books, there is no follow through on the police action and no accountability for breaking the law," the trio continued in their statement.
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Pennsylvania state Reps. Josh Kail (R-Washington/Beaver), Torren Ecker (R-Cumberland/Adams), and Tim O’Neal (R-Washington) (Pennsylvania House of Representatives)
"That is exactly why Larry Krasner needs to be impeached."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Philadelphia Police Department received nearly $4 million in 2016 to upgrade its reporting system, which was officially launched on April 1, 2021, Axios reported. The FBI also switched to a new recording method last year, the National Incident-Based Reporting System, amid a push to better record crime figures and individual incidents.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 30: (L) Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner reacts while being mentioned by Danielle Outlaw at a press conference announcing her as the new Police Commissioner on December 30, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Outlaw, Philadelphia's first black female police commissioner, was previously the police chief in Portland, OR. ((Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images))
"The Philadelphia Police Department began NIBRS reporting on April 1, 2021. The delay was caused by issues in updating our system to take on the additional data requirements necessary for NIBRS reporting," a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department told Fox News Digital of the matter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST PHILADELPHIA DA LARRY KRASNER
Kail, Ecker and O’Neal opened impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia’s Krasner on Monday, arguing he’s created an environment of "unchecked" crime by refusing to prosecute criminals.
Philadelphia, PA, USA - November 25, 2021: A Philadelphia Police Department marked vehicle with its emergency light activated. (iStock) (iStock)
"We did not arrive at this decision lightly or easily. In fact, we are taking this action after we have taken significant steps to pass legislation that addresses violent crime in Philadelphia by ensuring our current laws are enforced," Kail said earlier this week.
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"We are starting this process now because the unchecked violent crime in Philadelphia has reached a breaking point due to the willful refusal by District Attorney Krasner to enforce existing laws."