By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – In Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, the candidates have two familiar themes on crime: they support more funding for police, and their opponent doesn’t know what to do.
However, articulating a detailed plan to lower crime hasn’t been forthcoming. Instead, campaigns have been focused more on personality, rather than solutions.
Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz has called Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. John Fetterman soft on crime and accused him of not caring about crime victims. The two are battling for the seat being vacated by Republican Pat Toomey, and its among those considered most a toss-up by national politicos as both major parties wrestle for control of Congress.
Oz’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. In television ads and on the campaign train, Oz has emphasized his endorsements from police unions.
“He will support efforts to ensure (the police) always have the resources they need to do their job and keep our communities safe, and he opposes ‘anti-law’ proposals like ‘cashless bail’ that make it tougher for police to do their jobs,” his campaign stated.
“Crime is a bigger problem than ever in Pennsylvania. I’m serious about fixing it,” Oz said in a campaign video.
What that fix will entail, however, remains elusive.
Likewise, the Fetterman campaign focuses on the past: How Fetterman responded to crime during his time as mayor of Braddock, a small town outside Pittsburgh.
“John knows how to combat crime and improve public safety because he’s actually done it. That’s a stark contrast with Dr. Oz, who has no record on this issue because he’s never taken on crime from his gated mansion in New Jersey,” Fetterman campaign spokesman Joe Calvello wrote in an email.
“John has worked hand-in-hand with the police, and knows the challenges our police force faces and how to support them. John fought to ensure the police had the funding they needed, and he helped bring the town grants for surveillance cameras,” Calvello said.
If elected, Fetterman hit similar notes as Oz: more funding and resources to fight crime.
“If Pennsylvania voters elect John to the U.S. Senate, he will always fight to increase federal funding and grants for Pennsylvania State Police and local police forces,” Calvello said. “John will push back against anyone who seeks to defund the police, and he will always make sure that Pennsylvania’s law enforcement officers have the resources they need.”
“I will make sure law enforcement has the resources necessary to do their job, but I will also prioritize oversight, accountability, and violence prevention,” Fetterman says on his campaign website.
Yet, without more public statements on crime and criminal justice, it remains unclear what the candidates will do.
