FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2025
Contact: Nick Fulton, nfulton@vera.org

WASHINGTON — On Monday, Vera Action Director Insha Rahman gave a talk at the DNC summer convening, “How Democrats Can Fight and Win the Crime Debate,” based on Vera Action’s extensive research on crime and public safety. Following the presentation, a soundbite was clipped from the 20-minute presentation to misrepresent her. In response, Vera Action released the following statement from Insha Rahman:  

“Since 2022, we have conducted 40+ rounds of national, battleground, exit poll and local research on what voters across the political spectrum think about crime and the policies they believe will make communities safer. We began this work because we saw that crime was being wielded as a political cudgel by Republicans and Democrats largely remained silent. We believe voters deserve robust debate and honest conversation from politicians across the political spectrum about a kitchen table issue that matters—safety.  

“There has been backlash to a specific statement I made during my talk about the kinds of crime and public safety concerns that rank highest among voters. The point I was trying to make is that a majority of Americans favor policies and programs that prevent crime and make communities safer. Our research shows that the biggest safety priorities to most voters are to address gun violence, homelessness, drugs and street crime. Of course, people are concerned about carjacking and other violent crimes too.  

“By calling on Democrats to be serious about safety, we are building upon longstanding research that shows Americans favor addressing social and economic problems to reduce crime. For example, in a Gallup poll from November 2023, 64 percent of respondents said they favored spending more money and effort on addressing social and economic problems such as drug addiction, homelessness, and mental health compared to the 35 percent who favored more money and efforts to strengthening law enforcement. As I said in my presentation to the DNC, the police have a critical role to play in producing public safety but we cannot ask them to do everything and must invest in other programs and services that help to prevent crime, respond to crisis, and stop violence. 

“The important takeaway here is to follow the data and research about what voters want when it comes to safety, accountability and justice. 

“Watch the entire presentation here.”