When a violent crime is committed, it tends to feel not just unwarranted but random. When a murder, sex crime, or burglary happens, we often ask, “How did this happen?” Even worse is when a violent crime is committed by someone with a violent criminal past. We then demand to know, “How did this happen… again?”
Families who lose loved ones to violence are not interested in political talking points or tough jargon. They want accountability. They want dangerous offenders off the streets. And they want a criminal justice system capable of preventing the next tragedy before it occurs.
Cases like the killing of Iryna Zarutska reignited national frustration over repeat offenders, and rightfully so. However, some lawmakers channeled that angst into the proposition of a familiar slate of failed policies: broader mandatory minimums, expanded death penalty eligibility, and revived “three-strikes” laws.
The intended purpose behind these proposals is to make us feel safer, but unfortunately, they don’t actually solve the issue of crimes committed by repeat offenders. The reality is that there is an important distinction between policies that sound tough and policies that actually reduce violent crime.
For example, a sentence enhancement only matters if violent offenders are caught and convicted in the first place. Yet today, too many violent crimes in America go unsolved. Homicide clearance rates have fallen dramatically over the last decade, while many law enforcement agencies struggle with detective shortages, outdated forensic technology, and overwhelming caseloads.
In too many communities, violent offenders remain free simply because police lack the resources necessary to identify and apprehend them quickly. And the “defund the police” movement of 2020 certainly impacted morale, recruitment, and retention, exacerbating an already overworked and dangerous profession.
That reality should concern everyone.
The bipartisan Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act – or VICTIM Act – reintroduced by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), offers a more practical and effective path forward. Rather than relying on sweeping sentencing expansions, the legislation focuses on helping state and local law enforcement solve violent crimes and identify repeat offenders before more lives are destroyed.
The bill would provide targeted grants to improve investigations through additional detectives, upgraded forensic capabilities, investigative training, and victim support services. In short, it focuses on strengthening the parts of the system that too often break down long before sentencing even becomes relevant.
This kind of legislation moves the needle because the certainty of being caught and punished is the strongest deterrent to crime. Violent offenders are far more influenced by the likelihood of being caught than by political debates over whether a sentence increases from decades to life imprisonment. A criminal justice system that consistently solves violent crimes incapacitates dangerous individuals earlier, protects communities more effectively, and delivers justice to victims faster.
This approach also avoids repeating some of the mistakes of prior eras in our nation. Broad sentencing policies often sweep beyond the small population of truly dangerous offenders driving violent crime, increasing correctional costs, and breaking up families.
The VICTIM Act does not promote sentencing leniency. Mandatory minimums and sentencing enhancements are still available for violent offenders, and they should face serious consequences for their crimes. But it does not change the fact that public safety is strengthened most when law enforcement has the tools to identify, arrest, and prosecute dangerous individuals before they create more victims.
Americans are looking for answers to violent crime that go beyond rhetoric. They want real solutions for safer neighborhoods, fewer repeat tragedies, and a justice system that works. Helping law enforcement solve violent crimes is one of the most important foundations of those outcomes.
If lawmakers care about stopping the repeat offender in his tracks, then they should focus on policies that will help state and local police officers solve violent crimes. It is time to bypass the political points and truly reduce violent repeat offenders. The VICTIM Act is exactly the kind of policy Congress should prioritize for Americans everywhere.
