Transcript:
Lidia Curanaj: That incident we talked about there, just one of many recent crimes, highlighting the need for laws to change once and for all. Joining me now, spokesperson for the National Police Association and retired Chicago area police officer Betsy Brantner Smith. Also with us, former federal prosecutor Doug Burns. Thank you guys so much for joining us.
Sgt. Betsy Smith (ret): Thanks for having us.
Lidia Curanaj: Doug, let’s start off with you. This suspect is now facing federal terrorism charges. But my question is, when I was talking about this story with my husband, we I think to myself, how could a rational judge why couldn’t that person use his or her discretion and held this guy behind bars sooner? Why does it have to get to the point where he almost kills someone? That he’s he pours gasoline on someone, tries to set them on sets them on fire, almost kills that person.
Why does it have to get to this point in these big blue cities?
Sgt. Betsy Smith (ret): I couldn’t agree with you more. I mean, we’ve always, for years and even decades, have, you know, debates and discussions about that, you know, revolving door in terms of bail release, but it’s gotten way, way, way worse, you know, in the last few years with all kinds of modifications to bail release. So you have an individual with this many arrests. It’s just a complete and total failure of the system. And as you say, when a judge just releases somebody like that and then they cause, you know, grave, grave harm.
It’s a complete and total breakdown and failure of the system.
Lidia Curanaj: You know, Betsy, in Charlotte, we know that Irina Zarutska, she had her throat slit by a career criminal. She lost her life. A woman in New York was also set on fire late last year, and she was killed and died. How many more women have to die before Democratic leaders wake up and say, you know what? Bad guys have to be behind bars.
And if you have a mental illness, you should be remanded to a mental health facility.
Doug Burns: Yep. You know, the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, was asked about this case, and he said, oh, this is a one-off. It’s a rare instance. And what people need to do is just spend more money. He wants more tax dollars to go to our public transportation system in Chicago.
This attack is because of JB Pritzker and the safety act in Illinois, no cash bail, and years and years and years of far-left Democrat prosecutors who refused to keep these people in prison. This guy was an extremely motivated offender, and she tried to get away, and she did get away. He went after her, doused her with the gasoline, and then taunted her as she’s on the ground burning. This is horrific and it should have never happened, Lydia. But this is the Democrats, supposedly the party of we wanna help women.
They just allow women to continue to be crime victims. Right. The party of women. Right.
Lidia Curanaj: Doug, and it’s not just Chicago. It’s not just New York City. It’s not just Los Angeles. We’re seeing crimes exploding across the United States, innocent victims, because we have these radical district attorneys. We have the radical judges.
We have cops that arrest the suspects who get out of jail before the ink is dry on the paperwork. So what should people do?
Sgt. Betsy Smith (ret): No. It’s terrible. And there has to be a movement back in the other direction, quite honestly. And we would hope that the voting public is gonna wake up and understand that. I mean, you hear all kinds of rhetoric in all kinds of liberal jurisdictions, sanctuary cities, and so on.
You know, you hear cliches thrown around about, you know, caring more for criminals than the safety of the public, but it’s true. That really is, the mantra. That’s the point. And so all we can hope for is that we see some change at the ballot box and get some DAs in there, who are more straightforward in terms of law and order and law enforcement.
Lidia Curanaj: You know, and Betsy, to your point, the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, he seems more concerned about pontificating and trying to take on President Trump. And he now he now actually said this, that President Trump wants a rematch of the Civil War, because that way he can clean up I mean, listen to listen to this nonsense here. Take a listen.
Podcaster: When this whole thing about sending troops to American cities, it was not lost on me that the cities chosen by the administration had black mayors and a black population center.
Mayor Johnson: So we know that the intentional attacks that are coming from the Trump administration and the extreme right in this country has very much been, what I call is it’s an attempt to relitigate the civil war. Right? They have not accepted the results that the North actually won. Right? Because if you look at all of the attacks, it’s not just black cities.
He’s going after education, housing, transportation, good paying jobs, and health care. Those are literally the five demands of descendants of slaves post Civil War. So it’s evident that they are not, you know, committed to actually realizing the full dream of what this country can offer.
Lidia Curanaj: You know, he wants to talk about race here. How about all the suspects are black and the victims are white and they’re women? How about that? And if you could you imagine if roles were reversed here, Betsy? If we had white men running around, set black women on fire?
Doug Burns: Absolutely. It would be an international story spent an hours a day we will be talking about it. Brandon Johnson has led the city of Chicago into a $1,000,000,000 deficit. He’s got 20 extra taxes and fees that he wants to raise. Even his own leftist city council turned down his crazy budget.
He wants nothing to do with law and order. He and JB Pritzker have this unhealthy obsession with Donald Trump. And even though when ICE was there, crime started to go down. All they do is talk about Trump and ICE and this insane policies that Brandon Johnson is blathering about. People are sick of it, but they keep electing these crazies, Lydia, even though they know better.
Lidia Curanaj: I know. I never seen women voting against their own well-being. Betsy Brantner Smith and Doug Burns, thank you guys.