PolitiFact.com
Statements about Crime
Tom Leppert

Tom Leppert

Mostly True

Leppert presided, wasn’t alone

Says "we brought crime rate down by 30 percent" when he was mayor of Dallas.

Jim Moran

Jim Moran

Mostly True

Numbers are outdated, but close

"The U.S. gun homicide rate is 20 times the combined rate of other western nations."

Kasim Reed

Kasim Reed

Half-True

Reed zones out on numbers

"We have cut crime across every single zone in the city of Atlanta by between 10 percent and 16 percent, depending on the zone."

No Casinos

No Casinos

Mostly True

On some measures Florida isn't so hot either

Nevada is No. 1 in unemployment, violent crime, car theft, divorce, robberies and foreclosures.

Eddie Lucio, Jr.

Eddie Lucio, Jr.

Mostly True

But: Airsoft guns federally regulated

Says Texas does not regulate the appearance of some kinds of imitation firearms sold in Texas.

AFSCME

AFSCME

Mostly True

Not a great chapter in the Bain story

"While Romney was a director of the Damon Corporation, the company was defrauding Medicare of millions."

Restore Our Future

Restore Our Future

Half-True

Ad makers, watch your visuals

Says Rick Santorum "voted to let convicted felons vote."

Rob Cornilles

Rob Cornilles

True

Yes, on this bill

Suzanne Bonamici was the only no vote on a 2009 bill cracking down on drunk drivers.

Chris Abele

Chris Abele

Mostly False

A deeper look suggests otherwise

Says Milwaukee County buses are no less safe now than a year or two ago.

David Cicilline

David Cicilline

Half-True

Exaggerated to make a point

Enacting the Right-to-Carry Act would amount to "expanding the rights of sex offenders, terrorists, child predators, and abusers to carry concealed weapons across state lines.’’

Kyleen Wright

Kyleen Wright

Mostly False

Shy of No. 1

Says murder is the chief cause of death for pregnant women.

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

Half-True

Slapdash term

Says the Obama administration catches and releases nonviolent illegal immigrants.

Mike DeWine

Mike DeWine

Mostly False

Studies don't support cause-and-effect claim

"At a minimum, 40 percent of those who view child pornography end up molesting children as a result." 

David Mellon

David Mellon

False

Unconfined by facts

"The job [of correctional officer] lowers your life expectancy . . . Metropolitan did a study in, I believe it was 1998, and the life expectancy was 58."

Frank Ortis

Frank Ortis

Mostly False

Except for agreeing to provide water and sewer

The city of Pembroke Pines doesn't have a vote in a plan to build a detention center in Southwest Ranches.

Joe Biden

Joe Biden

Half-True

UPDATE: Murders up, but not rapes

"In 2008, when Flint had 265 sworn officers on their police force, there were 35 murders and 91 rapes in this city. In 2010, when Flint had only 144 police officers, the murder rate climbed to 65, and rapes … climbed to 229."

Cory Booker

Cory Booker

Mostly True

Shot and killed, not just shot

Says "if you are shot in the city of Newark, you have over an 80 percent chance that you've been arrested before an average of 10 times."

James Langevin

James Langevin

False

Plausible but unproven

"Foster children are disproportionately victims of identity theft."

Chris Abele

Chris Abele

Half-True

Bigger role; FBI reports are few

The Milwaukee County sheriff’s department  "plays only a limited role as a traditional law enforcement agency" and in 2009 reported far fewer crimes to the FBI than the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee police did.

Jose Rodriguez

Jose Rodriguez

Mostly False

Two swinging strikes

Says El Paso was named America’s "Safest Large City" a year after San Antonio, Houston and Dallas had the nation’s highest crime rates.

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