Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Vera Action Director Ellen Flenniken spoke on our 40+ rounds of polling and research that show how the conventional political wisdom on crime is out of sync with what voters want. In poll after poll, a majority of voters favor a "serious about safety" approach over a "tough-on-crime" one. 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Since we began asking the question in 2022, a majority of voters have consistently favored a "serious about safety" approach that champions evidence-based solutions to address the root causes of crime over a "tough on crime" approach. Learn more: veraaction.org/serious-abou... 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Candidates for governor are becoming more confident talking about comprehensive strategies to reduce crime as part of strong safety platforms. In states with key gubernatorial races this fall, voters prefer a serious agenda over tough-on-crime: 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 23/03/2026New York City Public Advocate @jumaane.bsky.social on the creation of the Office of Community Safety: "We can't be focused, as leaders, on simply looking to be 'tough on crime.' We have to be serious about safety." 001
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Last week, @mayor.nyc.gov Zohran Mamdani announced the creation of the Office of Community Safety (OCS), a step toward his campaign promise to address real concerns about crime. Comprehensive investments—not "tough on crime" band-aids—will deliver real safety for New Yorkers. 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/02/2026Vera Action’s 40+ rounds of polling and research consistently show that a majority of Americans—including Independents—prefer leaders who are "serious about safety," not reflexively "tough-on-crime." 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 15/01/2026Trump is now threatening to make an unprecedented move in Minneapolis: invoking the Insurrection Act to punish protesters using military force. In December, we explained how the Supreme Court opened the door for this to happen on @hesnotwrong.bsky.social: 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/11/2025Want to know how to tackle crime as a Democrat? Just look at mayors’ races. In Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and other cities, candidates who owned a proactive safety agenda won handily. Watch this ad from Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield’s campaign in Detroit (4/7): 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/11/2025The new paradigm on safety includes new solutions to prevent crime, respond to crisis, and stop violence. There is a majority view among voters about what works to break the cycle of crime. A "serious about safety" approach consistently beats a "tough-on-crime" one. (3/7) 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/11/2025As the Republican advantage on the economy evaporates and after convincing wins by Democrats last week, the GOP will likely use crime as a wedge issue to blunt Democrats’ momentum in the midterms. Trump has already declared that "crime will be a big subject of the midterms." (2/7) 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 09/10/2025This plan is an effort by Cuomo to boost his mayoral campaign—but he is seriously missing the mark. Voters don’t want new buildings on Rikers Island. In fact, Vera Action research shows that New York voters favor the transition to borough-based jails. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 25/08/2025From Republicans and Democrats alike, voters are usually offered only one approach to public safety: "we need to get tough on crime." But time and time again, our polling has shown that voters prefer when candidates talk about investing in real solutions to prevent crime: 021
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/08/2025Research from Vera Action and GSG (May 2025) shows: Virginia voters prefer an approach to crime that is "serious about safety"—not "tough on crime." 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 08/08/2025Too many politicians have lost sight of what our communities actually want and need when it comes to safety. @replsimon.bsky.social sets the record straight: we should invest in things like mental health treatment, education, food security, and better policing. #NN25 @netrootsnation.bsky.social 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 06/08/2025Join us alongside @replsimon.bsky.social, @anatosaurus.bsky.social, and @richardafowler.bsky.social for a #NN25 deep dive on how progressives can win (and have been!) by making safety and justice a core part of their platform without going "tough on crime." Thursday at 2:15pm CT in room 292! 023
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 31/07/2025We can do more than just react to crime when it happens. We can also work to prevent it. Vera Action director Insha Rahman joined the @democraticmayors.bsky.social Community Over Chaos Summit in Cleveland to discuss how cities are investing in strategies to address the root causes of crime. 011
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/07/2025During the race, we saw some candidates challenge others' support for the NYPD and accuse them of wanting to "defund the police." But voters supported Mamdani's proposal to take the burden off police to solve every social problem, allowing them to focus on serious crimes. 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/07/2025In a race where crime was a top issue, the conventional political wisdom to go "tough" turned out to be wrong. Zohran Mamdani's winning campaign made investing in real solutions for public safety a core part of his broader message of an affordable, livable city for all. 120
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/07/2025NEW: Results from the New York City mayoral primary race indicate that voters want a serious, solutions-oriented approach to crime and safety. In a city where public safety remains a top concern for voters, "tough on crime" messaging fell flat, according to Vera Action exit polling. 🧵 121
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 24/06/2025Candidates for elected office take note: recent voters back comprehensive solutions to safety over more incarceration. 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 05/06/2025Asm. Zohran Mamdani and former Asm. Michael Blake addressed how police can’t serve as the one-size-fits-all solution for public safety. Investing in mental health support, for example, helps take the burden off of police so they can focus on the most serious crimes. From Asm. Mamdani: 132
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 05/06/2025In last night's debate, candidates for #NewYorkCity mayor were caught in the same trap: playing self-defense against "defund the police" accusations. Our polling shows that against those attacks, Democrats succeed when they focus on real solutions and don’t go "tough on crime." 111
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 03/06/2025NEW: A strong majority of Americans (89%) support the federal funding of programs that work with survivors of crime. Trump’s attack on crucial safety and justice programs contradicts what our communities actually want and need. 111
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/06/2025Philadelphia's progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner has consistently won elections by embracing key reforms to make the city safer and more just and refusing to embrace "tough on crime" politics. From his campaign website: 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 28/05/2025Police cannot be the singular answer to every problem. By canceling millions of dollars in federal grants, the Trump administration is trying to dismantle programs that have been working for decades to make communities safer. 010
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 23/05/2025Take it from a retired police lieutenant: “Law enforcement cannot do the job alone.” Our safety is threatened by Trump’s abrupt cuts to federal grants for community-based organizations working on violence prevention, victim services, reentry support, and youth development. 211
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 22/05/2025Safety is the top priority for New Yorkers in this year’s mayoral election. But voters deserve better than more “tough on crime” rhetoric from candidates. They want real, comprehensive solutions to improve community safety. 🗽This ad from @vera.org gets it right: 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 16/05/2025Trump’s cuts to DOJ grants make us less safe. Federally funded community prevention programs have worked for decades to drive crime rates down since their peaks in the early 1990s. Taking them away could mean losing much of the progress we’ve made to improve community safety. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 09/05/2025Police chiefs across Michigan are calling on the state legislature to continue investing in community violence intervention programs, which they say are a reason for historically low crime rates. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 29/04/2025Vera Action research has shown that voters want better, more accountable policing and greater trust between police and the community—not an "unleashed" police force that operates without oversight. 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 15/04/2025Cutting $5 million in federal grants to @verainstitute puts survivors of crime and people in mental health crisis in danger. Trump’s #DOJ is focused on scoring political points, not on delivering justice. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 10/04/2025For decades, @vera.org has received federal funding—under Democratic and Republican administrations—to do the critical work of advancing safety and justice. Attorney General Bondi is putting politics before our safety. The #DOJ MUST reverse course and restore $5 million in grants. 001
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 07/04/2025Americans agree: the presidential pardon is an important check on the criminal justice system when it fails to deliver real justice and as a tool for undoing mass incarceration. Presidents don’t need to wait until the end of their term to use it as such. www.foxnews.com/opinion/i-sp... 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Judge Susan Crawford was faced with a litany of "soft on crime" attacks from her opponent, backed by Elon Musk's millions. But it was her ownership of delivering safety, accountability, and justice that won over the voters of Wisconsin. From her campaign website: 040
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 27/03/2025The Trump administration is threatening to cut transportation funding to cities over what they call "out of control" crime on subways. But cutting funding won't improve safety. It will only undermine progress. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 26/03/2025"It is so beyond the pale of anything contemplated by the Constitution or due process or the criminal courts." -Insha Rahman, Vera Action Director Trump’s idea of putting Americans in foreign prisons shows a clear lack of interest in actually keeping people safe. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 20/03/2025Most voters agree that increasing access to treatment for mental health and addiction is an effective way to improve safety conditions. Trump’s Medicaid cuts make us less safe—and voters know it. 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 19/03/2025"The impact of cuts to federal funding would be felt most acutely by the most vulnerable—those who rely on our services for safety, support, and healing." -Liz Roberts, CEO of @safehorizon.bsky.social for @couriernewsroom.bsky.social 111
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 12/03/2025Spot on, @jumaane.bsky.social. 🎯 "Tough on crime" doesn’t work — it’s time to let it go. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 10/03/2025Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gets it: if you want to make America’s cities safer, continue to fund the things proven to deliver safety, stability and security for all. 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 06/03/2025At yesterday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston offered a compelling alternative to the Republicans’ fear-based approach to crime and immigration: one based on real solutions to deliver safety and justice to all Denverites. 130
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 25/02/2025Guess what? Criminal justice reform is a nonpartisan issue. Vera Action was at CPAC (yes, that CPAC) last week talking with advocates from the left, right, and center about real investments happening in red and blue states to help all communities thrive. 🎥 via @newsnation.bsky.social: 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 20/01/2025"Trump’s advisers have said they intend to penalize sanctuary cities by cutting off what could amount to billions of dollars in federal grants to them." Ripping resources away from communities to carry out an extremist mass deportation agenda is the opposite of investing in safety and justice. 131
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 07/01/2025Q: what will help the U.S. continue the downward trend of violent crime and property crime into 2025? A: a holistic approach to safety that includes investments in jobs, housing, health care, and community violence intervention. 000
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 18/12/2024By commuting the sentences of ~1,500 people, President Biden used the pardon power as it should be used: as a check on the criminal legal system when it fails to deliver real justice and as a tool for undoing mass incarceration. Via @vox.com: 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 05/12/2024By ending cash bail, Illinois is working to create a system where public safety, not wealth, determines who is released before trial—all while saving millions for taxpayers. 100
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 04/12/2024Vera Action director Insha Rahman joined @newsnation.bsky.social to share why Democrats lost ground on crime and safety. Dems should adopt their own message centered on safety, accountability, and justice, instead of copying the GOP's "tough on crime" rhetoric, our research shows. 010
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 02/12/2024Unlike many candidates, Sen. @tammybaldwin.bsky.social made safety a central theme in her campaign. When pressed about fentanyl, she emphasized her personal connection to the issue and talked about the work her office has done to prevent overdoses. Ad via Majority Forward: 110
Vera Action @veraaction.bsky.social · 21/11/2024Democrats missed an opportunity to close the volume and trust gaps around crime. Our exit poll shows that a big tent of voters prefer an approach that is serious about fully funding programs that prevent crime in the first place over a “tough on crime" message. 101