Trone says 'increased police presence' doesn't make people feel safe

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

In a three-post thread on "X", Trone wrote that the justice system in Maryland is "racist" and that "increased police presence doesn't make everyone feel safe." 

Trone's Democratic opponent, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a former state's attorney, tells FOX 5 she supports "equity" in the justice system, but communities have a right to police protection.

"I think that whatever he’s saying, the point of the matter is he has no experience in doing it. I think that’s significant. Talking is one thing, but we need fewer people talking, you know, we need people who have the experience," said Alsobrooks.

Trone's statement to FOX 5 is below:

"Every Marylander deserves to feel safe, and folks should be held accountable if they break the law. Right now, there are a lot of communities that are concerned about the impact of crime, not only on our neighborhoods each day but on communities disproportionately impacted by our criminal legal system. One of the reasons I ran for office is because, for too long, we have embraced short-term thinking about the true solutions for crime in our communities. We don’t see progress on this issue because career politicians are more worried about their next election than taking bold action to solve serious problems.

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

But we also have to be honest about the fact that a lot of Americans do not feel safer when they see law enforcement in their communities. Because the systemic racism infecting our criminal justice system destroys trust between our communities and public safety professionals. In the Senate, I’ll continue to bring long-term solutions to the table and put people over politics."

Trone and Alsobrooks are battling for the Democratic nomination for Senate. Former Governor Larry Hogan is the likely Republican candidate. Primary Election Day in Maryland is being held on May 14.