In an exclusive statement obtained by The Tennessee Star on Sunday, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell’s campaign in the August 4 Republican primary contest for TN-5 announced her “Back the Blue” plan to support police and law enforcement.
Harwell’s six-point plan calls for funding law enforcement officers and making sure they have the resources and training they need to fight crime.
“American cities have seen a massive increase in violent crime and murders these last few years. At the same time, Democrat politicians around the country have called for ‘defunding the police’ which has only led to emboldened criminals who don’t respect law and order,” Harwell said in a statement.
“The Biden Administration’s failure to secure the southern border and a disregard for cracking down on crime has lead to a rise in drugs and human trafficking in our communities. Fentanyl is the most dangerous type of opioid and we’ve seen record numbers of the drug in our community. In middle Tennessee, sex trafficking has become a rising issue,” continued Harwell. “Our law enforcement officers are doing everything they can, but the legal system is failing us by letting criminals off the hook.”
Harwell’s first point of her plan includes a call to “Fund the Police.”
“We must ensure our brave law enforcement officers have the best resources, equipment, and training to do their job. Let’s prioritize training resources that will help our police better protect and serve our communities. Lastly, we should provide educational support for citizens who choose to become a law enforcement officer,” she said in the plan.
The second point is simply titled “Back the Blue.”
“We must improve safety for law enforcement officers by increasing penalties (including making it a federal crime) for criminals who target, assault, or kill the men and women protecting us. Additionally, we should codify qualified immunity for law enforcement officers,” said Harwell.
The TN-5 candidate, who previously called on the U.S. Congress to finish former President Trump’s wall in part because of fentanyl trafficking, again tackled the issue in her plan.
“Fentanyl should be permanently moved into the Schedule I category (currently Schedule II) which would also allow harsher sentences for traffickers. Let’s move up the minimum sentence for trafficking fentanyl from 5 years for first offense to 10 years and for second offense from 10 years to 15 years. Lastly, let’s make sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to protect themselves from the drug and disrupt the supply chain,” she said.
Harwell’s plan calls for giving law enforcement the tools and training they need in order to combat human trafficking.
“We must ensure that our law enforcement officers are trained and equipped with the best resources to track and shut down human trafficking. Federal and state agencies must interact and communicate seamlessly in order to share information in real time. Congress must act to get rid of loopholes and red tape that prevents prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for offenders of human and sex trafficking. Lastly, we should incentivize awareness campaigns by nonprofits, so that our communities are aware and know what the signs are so that they can better protect themselves,” said the former speaker.
Harwell wants to end cashless bail.
“We’ve seen violent criminals released back into the public only to commit other violent and often deadly offenses. We should end this failed policy once and for all,” she said.
Finally, Harwell wants to ensure that mandatory sentences are served in full.
“Unfortunately, too many criminals do not serve their sentences in full and are released early, only to commit another crime. You commit the crime – you pay the price,” Harwell emphasized.
Read the plan:
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Beth Harwell” by Beth Harwell. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Ron Cogswell. CC BY 2.0.
