Trone says “increased police presence” does not make people feel safe

BETHESDA – As primary election day approaches in Maryland, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate David Trone is facing criticism from his opponents this morning over several social media posts about crime.

In a three-post thread on “X,” Trone wrote that the justice system in Maryland is “racist” and that “increased police presence does not make everyone feel safe.”

Trone’s Democratic opponent, Angela Alsobrooks, former State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, tells FOX 5 she supports “equality” in the justice system, but communities have a right to police protection.

“I think whatever he says, the point of the matter is that he has no experience with it. I think that’s significant. Talking is one thing, but we need less people talking, you know, we need people need those who have the experience,” Alsobrooks said.

Below is Trone’s statement to FOX 5:

“Every Marylander deserves to feel safe, and people should be held accountable when they break the law. Right now, there are many communities concerned about the impact of crime not only on our neighborhoods every day, but also on communities that are disproportionately affected. by our criminal justice system. One of the reasons I ran for office is because for too long we have embraced short-term thinking about the real solutions to crime in our communities. We don’t see progress in this area because career politicians are more concerned about their next elections than about taking bold action to solve serious problems.

We already know that if we want to reduce crime in the long term, we must tackle the root causes of crime: people are stuck in the cycle of poverty, without access to education or good jobs. We must create a new era of opportunity that is truly accessible to every family.

But we also need to be honest about the fact that many Americans do not feel safer seeing law enforcement in their communities. Because the systemic racism that infects our criminal justice system is destroying trust between our communities and public safety professionals. In the Senate, I will continue to advance long-term solutions and put people before politics.”

Trone and Alsobrooks are vying for the Democratic nomination for Senate. Former Governor Larry Hogan is the likely Republican nominee. Primary Election Day is May 14 in Maryland.