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Kevin Stitt on Crime

 

 


Keep violent offenders behind bars, with fair sentencing

During a forum last week in Oklahoma City, the candidates were asked what steps they would take as governor to reduce the number of people incarcerated in Oklahoma. That total, which has been growing for decades, stands at roughly 27,000. On a per capita basis, the state's incarceration rate ranks No. 2 nationally; we lead the country in female incarceration rate. All the candidates mentioned the need to find innovative ways to deal with nonviolent offenders, who make up the majority of those behind bars.

"We are sticking out like a sore thumb," said Tulsa businessman Kevin Stitt. Stitt said prosecutors must be provided "the sticks they need" to keep violent offenders behind bars, but that Oklahoma should "look at what the market is. Market to me is what the states around us are doing, and come up with those types of fair sentencing (practices) across all counties ."

Source: The Oklahoman on 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial race , May 3, 2018

Make it easier for ex-cons to go to work

But money is not the sole action government must take. I am encouraged by legislation in the House to accomplish licensing reform for those with a felony. We must give Oklahomans re-entering society more opportunities to be gainfully employed and we must give employers more discretion on who they can hire.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Oklahoma legislature , Feb 4, 2019

Consolidated work of Dept. of Corrections and Parole Board

I was told that a change in our prison system wasn't possible without an immediate $1 billion. I was told the Pardon and Parole Board could not take on an increase in casework without more employees and funding. What did we do? Pardon and Parole Board consolidated its investigators with Department of Corrections. This streamlined the case work while increasing it by 118% over 2018 without a single dollar more. The number of Oklahomans in our state prisons declined by 7.6% from 2018.
Source: 2020 Alabama State of the State address , Feb 3, 2020

Oklahoma is a proud law and order state, we back the police

I've directed our law enforcement to crack down hard on the black market. Agents have been in the field making arrests. Let me be clear: drug cartels, organized crime and foreign bad actors have no place in Oklahoma. We will find them, and we will bring them to justice! Oklahoma is a proud law and order state. As other states and cities are still defunding their police, we have a chance to stand apart. Brave men and women who put their lives on the line deserve leaders who will have their back.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Oklahoma legislature , Feb 7, 2022

FactCheck: OK has higher violent crime rate than NY and CA

Joy Hofmeister claimed that, under Stitt's administration, that "the rates of violent crime are higher in Oklahoma under your watch, than in NY and CA. That's a fact."

Fact check: True, but misleading. It's true that in 2020, Oklahoma had a higher rate of violent crime than both NY and CA, but that's been the case for much of the last 20 years.

Stitt said: "That's not true" in response to the claim by Hofmeister. "Oklahomans, do you believe we have higher crime than New York or California?

Fact check: False. Oklahoma does have a higher violent crime rate than both NY and CA, according to law enforcement data collected annually by the FBI. In 2020, the latest year for which complete data is available, Oklahoma had a violent crime rate of 458 incidents per 100,000 people. California had a violent crime rate of 442 incidents per 100,000 people for the same period, while NY had a violent crime rate of 363 incidents per 100,000 people. The national average for violent crime in 2020 was 398.

Source: The Frontier FactCheck on 2022 Oklahoma Gubernatorial race , Oct 21, 2022

Other governors on Crime: Kevin Stitt on other issues:
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Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
CA Recall:
S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
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vs.Ambassador Kelly Craft(R)
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