Doocy Presses Psaki On Crime Wave In Major Cities, Bail Reform

Fox News’ senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki on the recent crime wave taking over major cities.

“Do you think it’s possible that big cities are dealing with these smash-and-grab robberies right now, an increase in criminal activity because some prosecutors are too soft on crime?” Doocy asked during a Monday press conference.

“We have seen an increase in crime over the course of the pandemic. There are a range of reasons for that. Our focus is on what we can do to address it,” Psaki said. “The president has proposed additional funding in the budget to make sure local police departments and cops have the funding they need. We have also worked directly with police departments in areas where they are seeing the highest impact of the crime, the retail theft of which we have great concern about. That’s what our focus is on currently is action and doing what we can to make sure the funding is out there to the communities that need it the most.”

“But what good does it do if you’re going to give police departments extra money if they arrest bad guys and they bring them to jail and then they’re not prosecuted, they’re just right back out on the streets?” Doocy pressed, with Psaki saying the administration is focused on giving police departments resources to crack down on crime while not answering Doocy’s question on prosecutors. (RELATED: ‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: LA Residents Rattled As Violent Crime Finally Seeps Into Wealthy Neighborhoods)

“Just in the last week we saw a New York Post item about a pick-pocket with more than 30 arrests back out on the street. We’ve seen an arsonist burn down a half-a million dollar Christmas tree in New York City back out on the streets. Does the president think that’s good governing?” Doocy questioned.

“I think I’ve spoken to the president’s concerns about retail theft,” Psaki said before telling Doocy if he had questions about specific cases he should contact local police departments or the Department of Justice.

Craig Tamanaha, the alleged arsonist of the Fox News Christmas Tree, was previously arrested for drug-related crimes and low-level incidents. Outgoing New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Tamanaha “was issued earlier this year some appearance tickets and didn’t come back to court, which unfortunately is something we see all too often.”

Meanwhile theft is on the rise nationwide, with a recent spike in California. A large mob brazenly looted a San Jose jewelry store in November while a separate incident involving a mob of roughly 80 looters destroyed a Nordstrom.