'Read the data' Trump wrong on crime, say anti-violence leaders

Donald Trump's hyperbolic portrayal of crime in major American cities and his deployment of the national guard in Washington DC have reignited a decades-old debate about crime, violence and which policies and approaches can address it.

- Abené Clayton

The US president cites cities such as Oakland and Chicago as examples of places overwhelmed by crime and violence. He champions increased militarisation of law enforcement, and more money and legal protections for police, as the most effective solutions. But to violence prevention workers, his approach seems to undermine the progress community groups have made.

They argue that an emphasis on law enforcement and prosecution will do little to stop the cycles of violence and property crime faced by lower-income Black and Latino communities in particular during multiple administrations.

"The police are about response. But that's not what creates safety," said Aqeela Sherrills, a longtime community violence intervention leader in Los Angeles. "A lot of our urban communities have been war zones because they lack investment in infrastructure and programming. It's really disheartening to hear the president of the United States put out misinformation."

Sherrills said the biggest successes in violence reduction he had seen came from training local non-profits, community leaders and officials so they could build their own bespoke strategies.