Hialeah Mayor Steve Bovo is pushing back against bail reform. Outright rejecting no-cash-bail-reform, Mayor Bovo said that it would only bolster crime in the city.
"As Mayor of the second largest city in Miami-Dade County, I wholeheartedly oppose the proposal to introduce bail reform in our community," Bovo said in a statement released this week. "Among other things, this proposal contemplates a cashless bail system which would allow criminals to roam the streets of Miami-Dade mere hours after being arrested," he explained, adding that "these policies have been introduced throughout the country, and the only thing they have succeeded at is increasing crime rates and recidivism. Miami-Dade County is not a social experiment. This is where we live, work, and play. Our children and grandchildren live here. The proponents of this policy are willing to sacrifice our public safety for the sake of criminals."
Citing that "our community has become a haven for common-sense individuals throughout the country who flee the regressive policies of leftist extremists," he warned that "we must not allow ourselves to become yet another one of their pawns."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) also opposes the no-cash-bail-reform, and he took to the podium this week to announce that the sunshine state is experiencing a 50-year crime rate low. In order to ensure that trajectory, DeSantis plans on enforcing stricter measures. Leading up to his reelection, Governor DeSantis stressed that Florida is a law and order state, and he doubled down by assuring that keeping Florida as such is a priority.
If the state introduced no-cash-bail-reform, he says the state would be following in the example of states like New York and Illinois, which he warns have been negatively affected by the reforms. In contrast, supporters argue that the reform is necessary because the criminal justice system disproportionately affects some people.
