House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Sunday attempted to distance the party from the anti-police sentiment it stoked in 2020 and 2021. During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” with host George Stephanopoulos, she tackled the crime issue.

The host pointed out that people like Karen Bass, who is running for Mayor of Los Angeles, wish to increase the police force while Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) is still attempting to defund police departments. “You’re the speaker. How do you think Democrats should address rising crime?” Stephanopoulos asked.

Pelosi replied:

 “With all due respect in the world for Cori Bush, that’s not the position of the Democratic Party. Community safety to protect and defend in every way is our oath of office. We’re all concerned about mistreatment of people. That’s why Karen Bass had The Justice in Policing Act. We would hope to get some of that done, whether it’s no-knock, chokehold, or some of those issues even if we can’t get it all done.”

She continued: “Make no mistake, community safety is our responsibility. I quote one of my colleagues from New York, Ritchie Torres, a brand new member of Congress way on the left, saying that ‘defund the police’ is dead. That causes a concern with a few in our caucus. But public safety is our responsibility.”

Well, it would have been nice if Madame Speaker had taken this position during the George Floyd riots, but I suppose it would not have been the most popular stance on the left at the time. But, will this questionable change of heart on law enforcement be enough to assuage the concerns of voters who are concerned about crime?

The Democrats better hope so.

Crime has become an Achilles heel for Democrats seeking office, and they are well aware of the problem. In several congressional districts in which Democratic incumbents are vulnerable, criminal activity has been on the rise. This could affect at least five House seats, which places the Democrats’ six-seat lead in serious jeopardy.

An Ipsos poll taken in October 2021 revealed that Americans are concerned about the rise of crime in their neighborhoods. It showed that about 40 percent of those living in urban areas believe criminal activity was on the rise in their communities, and about 65 percent of these individuals did not feel safe.

A Pew Research poll conducted in the same month showed the percentage of Americans who wish to see more spending on law enforcement has increased significantly. From the report:

The share of adults who say spending on policing in their area should be increased now stands at 47%, up from 31% in June 2020. That includes 21% who say funding for their local police should be increased a lot, up from 11% who said this last summer.

Support for reducing spending on police has fallen significantly: 15% of adults now say spending should be decreased, down from 25% in 2020.

These numbers are not a positive sign for Democrats, especially after they were responsible for slashing police budgets in major cities all across the country. This was one of the prime contributors to the worsening crime problem America has seen over the past two years.

But unfortunately for Pelosi and the Gang™, the appropriate phrase will likely be “too little, too late.”

The Democrats’ ongoing anti-police campaign, coupled with the proliferation of woke district attorneys more intent on protecting criminals than civilians, means the soft-on-crime label is going to stick for the near future. Those concerned about safety will be loath to pull the lever for the same people who empowered the violent criminals they fear. Perhaps the smackdown they are set to receive will finally knock some sense into them when it comes to crime. One can only hope.