Southwest
End of defund police era? Crime, prosecutorial crackdown in blue and purple states signals shift, experts say
Politicians and pundits have described the 2024 election as a “mandate” for change from the American people after four years of frustration with the economy, illegal immigration and crime, among other factors.
In 2020, local and federal politicians met demands from protesters to “defund” or “dismantle” police departments across the country. Intending to reform the criminal justice system, they passed bills aimed at moving police funds to other entities or changing the way police pursue suspects after George Floyd’s murder.
Four years later, however, Americans are frustrated with the state of violent crime in some areas and sought in the 2024 election to give more power and funding to law enforcement.
“We are seeing a huge shift post election now in legislation propositions – even candidates who rejected defunding, they rejected decriminalization, they rejected decarceration,” Betsy Brantner Smith, a retired police sergeant and spokesperson for the National Police Association nonprofit, told Fox News Digital. “And we’re really heartened at what we’re seeing. This has… been 10 years of progressive, quote-unquote reform, police reform, criminal justice reform.”
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Police officers stand at attention during a memorial for slain Officer Eric Talley on March 22, 2022, in Boulder, Colorado. (Chet Strange/Getty Images)
California
In California, residents rejected another term for progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was backed by billionaire George Soros.
Californians also overwhelmingly voted in favor of Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, which seeks to undo portions of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for some crimes.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon lost re-election. (Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
When Proposition 47 passed in 2014, it downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount stolen was under $950, “unless the defendant had prior convictions of murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.”
Progressives criticized Prop 36 as racist. The ACLU of Northern California described it in a press release as “part of a broader conservative strategy in California and across the nation to roll back criminal justice reforms aimed at interrupting the cycle of mass incarceration of Black and Brown people.”
In Alameda County just outside San Francisco, voters recalled District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled in the 2024 election. (Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle)
Criminal defense attorney Michael Cardoza, a FOX 2 San Francisco legal analyst who previously worked in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, told the outlet that the Board of Supervisors has received a “referendum or a mandate from the voters: we don’t want the liberal approach.”
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Paul Mauro, Fox News contributor and former NYPD inspector, is not as optimistic. He told Fox News Digital that while there has been a shift in rhetoric and the electorate, there has not been a significant shift in “the ruling class” in certain blue areas “yet.”
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“The tea leaves are inescapable,” Mauro said. “You had Gascon out. Mayor of San Francisco out. Mayor of Oakland out. The D.A. of the county that covers Oakland out. Proposition 36 [was] overwhelmingly approved in the same jurisdiction that had approved the prior proposition that went against police efforts… So, you have to lie to yourself to believe that there hasn’t been a significant shift in the electorate.”
“You’d have to lie to yourself to believe that there hasn’t been a significant shift in the electorate.”
Mauro said the “cynic” in him says that if Democrats “had squeezed out a win, they wouldn’t even be having that conversation” about crime and immigration concerns. “But now they’re being forced to have that conversation,” he explained.
Oakland’s homeless population jumped 9% over the past two years, according to the latest official estimate. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times)
“While I believe the electorate is much better informed regarding the defund police movement and clearly do not support anything like it… the ruling class on the left, the progressive class on the left, that managed to grab so many of the state and city legislatures and mayoralties and governorships, will ignore this message,” he said.
Other blue and purple areas saw voting trends similar to what happened in California.
Colorado
In Colorado, voters approved Proposition 128, which will require people convicted of crimes to serve 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole, which is 10% more time than the state’s current law, which requires inmates to serve at least 75% of their sentences, according to Colorado Public Radio.
Colorado voters also favored Proposition 130 to increase law enforcement funding. The law will direct $350 million from the state legislature to help law enforcement agencies recruit, train and maintain officers, and boost their pay.
Aurora, which has a population of about 390,000, has become the Tren de Aragua gang’s home base in Colorado, officials said. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Those who opposed both measures argued that they would actually increase crime in Colorado. The Coloradans for Smart Justice coalition, for example, described the measures in a post-election statement as “outdated, punitive, and costly approaches to public safety.”
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Arizona
In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 314, which will make entering the country illegally a state crime on top of a federal crime. It will also allow police to arrest those who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
Betsy Brantner-Smith, who lives in southern Arizona, believes the new law will boost morale among police officers, border patrol agents and civilians alike.
“[W]e’re going to see this shift in morale, and that is going to bring recruitment numbers back up.”
“Since the election results of bringing a pro-police president back to the White House, we don’t want to put people in jail who don’t deserve it. Cops want to go out there, arrest bad guys, and more importantly, we want to protect our citizens,” the 29-year law enforcement veteran said. “And I think that we’re going to see this shift in morale, and that is going to bring recruitment numbers back up.”
The Tucson Sector has been overwhelmed by a surge of migrants. (USBP)
Progressives believe the law will incite discrimination across the state.
“Proposition 314 will not fix the flaws in our immigration system, nor ‘secure the border’ in the way its proponents have represented,” Noah Schramm, border policy strategist for the ACLU of Arizona, said in a statement after the bill passed. “What it will do – if the courts ever allow it to stand – is break families apart, exacerbate racial profiling, and increase criminalization of immigrants and communities of color.”
Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas, voters also showed support for pro-law enforcement initiatives.
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Proposition U, which won by just over 50%, aims to increase funding for the police department and require the department to maintain a force of 4,000 officers, which is about 900 more officers than are currently employed.
Proposition S, a ballot measure that received 55% of the vote, will allow residents to sue the city if it does not comply with the city charter, city ordinances and state law, according to FOX 4 Dallas.
A Texas flag is on the back of a police motorcycle outside of the funeral for police Sgt. Michael Smith at Watermark Community Church, July 14, 2016, in Dallas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“We saw in the city of Dallas even, which is kind of a progressive area in a very red state… passed two propositions, bringing some power back to the city government in their ability to allow police to do their jobs,” Brantner-Smith said. “In fact, one of the propositions in Dallas gives standing to citizens to file lawsuits if the city government refuses to enforce the law. That’s huge.”
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Mauro believes that while the 2024 election signaled a shift in priorities for voters, a single controversial law enforcement encounter could quickly reverse that change.
“All the progress that’s been made is going to go right back down the tubes, and we’ll be right back where we were,” Mauro said. “You know that they’re waiting for something like that.… The progressives are very frustrated. They had a very bad night, and their entire narrative has been undermined, which means their entire funding is in question. And that whole thing is an industry. The grievance industry against police is enormous.”
Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255).
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, admitted to having an affair with a former staffer for the first time on Wednesday.
Gonzales made the confession during an appearance on a conservative talk radio show, just one day after he advanced to a runoff election in his congressional district’s GOP primary. The House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into Gonzales on Wednesday.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” he said on “The Joe Pags Show” Wednesday night. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.”
“When you make mistakes like this, it’s never easy. It humbles you,” he added.
Regina Santos-Aviles, a staffer for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, died Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Uvalde, Texas. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images | Regina Santos-Aviles Facebook)
The Ethics Committee is investigating whether Gonzales, a married father of six, engaged in sexual misconduct with a female member of his staff and whether he doled out special favors or privileges as a result.
Gonzales has said he has no plan to step down in the face of the accusations, saying last month that there are more details to be released regarding the situation.
“What you’ve seen is not all the facts,” Gonzales told reporters in late February.
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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, has denied having anything to do with his former staffer’s death. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The three-term congressman argued at the time that he was being “blackmailed” in connection with the case. Controversy first arose after the San Antonio Express-News reported they obtained text messages in which the former staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, wrote to a colleague that she had an affair with the lawmaker.
Santos-Aviles later died after setting herself on fire.
Gonzales denied having anything to do with her death during his radio appearance.
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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is interviewed by CQ-Roll Call. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I hadn’t spoken with Miss Santos since June of 2024. She passed September of 2025… I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing. And in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales took to social media last month and accused Santos-Aviles’ husband of “blackmail,” sharing a partial screenshot of an email from the widower and claiming he was seeking money.
“I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED,” Gonzales wrote in a Feb. 19 post on X. “Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death.”
In the email posted by Gonzales, attorney Robert Barrera discussed a possible lawsuit against the lawmaker and a potential settlement with a nondisclosure agreement. The email says that the maximum recoverable amount is $300,000.
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Barrera denied he was trying to blackmail Gonzales.
“It is a desperate attempt to make him look again like a political victim,” Barrera told The Associated Press last month. “There’s no blackmail here. I mean, it’s just ridiculous allegations.”
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Southwest
Nancy Guthrie’s abductor may have returned to the crime scene, left critical clues at tribute: expert
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TUCSON, Ariz. — As a growing memorial outside Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson-area home continues to draw visitors, new questions are emerging about whether investigators are monitoring the site.
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her home in the early hours of Feb. 1.
“They could [have eyes on the memorial], we’re just not seeing it,” Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and a retired police sergeant, tells Fox News Digital. “They could be keeping track of it, but we’re not seeing the cameras.”
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson home on Feb. 1. (Getty Images)
Yellow flowers, handwritten notes, artwork and even an open letter addressed to the “kidnapper” have been left at the makeshift tribute in front of her home.
While the memorial grows, however, visible law enforcement presence has significantly dropped.
“Detectives are reviewing all viable leads in this case,” a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital. “We do not speak to specifics, as this is still an ongoing investigation.”
Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect, vehicle or any persons of interest.
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Haunting Nest doorbell camera video shows a masked man on Nancy Guthrie’s front steps around the time of her abduction. He is described as being of average height and build and was wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack.
“In this type of situation where you have the potential for a suspect having done this because he or she is somehow obsessed with Savannah Guthrie or seeing Nancy featured on the ‘Today’ show multiple times… someone who is obsessed with notoriety, celebrity — there’s a lot of pathology involved in that,” Brantner Smith said.
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A member of the Pima County Sheriff’s office was seen outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Tucson, Ariz. (Ty O’Neil/AP Photo; Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
“Potentially, that is the type of person that could come back to the memorial, look at the memorial, even take photos of the memorial and add to the memorial themselves.”
As to why there’s been an alleged lack of law enforcement presence monitoring the site, Brantner Smith pointed to one likely scenario.
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“It may be because they have solid suspects, and they just haven’t released that information to the public,” she said.
It’s not uncommon for an offender to return to the crime scene, she added.
A growing vigil in the morning light under cloudy skies is seen at Nancy Guthrie’s home on February 13, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Ty O’Neil/AP Photo)
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“Sometimes the offender will come back to the scene of the crime. So, in that vein, they would come to the memorial, and they may have left their own note, their own flowers,” she said.
Often, it’s a mark of their arrogance, she told Fox News Digital.
“I am guessing that the suspect or suspects who did this are frankly taking great pride in the fact that so far they’ve got away with it,” she added. “Coming back can also be a way to bring back that rush that they had when they originally committed the crime.”
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Such behavior happens frequently in arson cases, she said.
Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the scene after volunteer searchers and several streamers walked onto Guthrie’s property with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
“But it’s also not untypical in a homicide case or, in this case, a missing person,” she continued. “We’ve got to look at the psychology of people who do this kind of stuff. They also may want to come back to see what kind of people are leaving notes and leaving flowers.”
For that reason, she said, investigators should be reading the notes to develop potential leads.
“They’re coming back to see the impact that they had on this neighborhood and on this family,” she said. “And the rest of us would view that as very sick, but law enforcement has to view that as a way to collect clues.”
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Savannah, her sister Annie, and brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, placed flowers at the growing tribute near the foot of Nancy’s driveway on Monday in a somber visit to the crime scene.
Annie Guthrie, her husband Tommaso Cioni, and Savannah Guthrie at their missing mother Nancy Guthrie’s home on Monday, March 2, in Tucson, Arizona. (Fox News)
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A combined reward for information that leads to Nancy’s recovery from the FBI, local authorities and the Guthrie family stands at over $1 million. It has not yet been claimed.
Savannah is asking anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has endorsed Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Lone Star State’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary.
“I am proud to endorse @SteveTothTX for Congress in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District. Steve faithfully served the people of Texas in the Texas House of Representatives, championing our Texas values of liberty, limited government, and constitutional governance,” Cruz said in a post on X.
“Steve is an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans. Washington needs bold leadership and representatives who will stand up for Texans at every turn,” Cruz continued.
Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw speaks during a showcase hosted by TerraFlow in Houston Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“Steve has the experience, the courage, and the conviction to do just that. I’m honored to support his campaign and urge voters in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District to join me in electing Steve Toth to Congress,” he added.
While President Donald Trump has not made an endorsement in the race, he previously backed Toth for Texas state House in 2022 and 2024.
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Texas House incumbent Rep. Steve Toth gives a brief statement before the start of a gubernatorial debate held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 in Spring, Texas. (Michael Wyke/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“State Representative Steve Toth is doing a fantastic job representing Texas State House District 15. A Small Business Owner and an Ordained Minister, Steve is fighting tirelessly to Secure our Elections, Grow the Economy, Eliminate Needless Regulations, Strengthen the Border, Support our Great Military/Veterans, and Protect and Defend our under siege Second Amendment. Steve Toth has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a 2024 Truth Social post.
The last day of early voting for Texas’ March 3 primary contests is Friday, according to the Texas Secretary of State website.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for the cloture vote on the government funding bill in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Crenshaw has served in Congress since early 2019.
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