Denver’s latest crime-fighting move has people talking: after years of budget cuts to public safety and controversial spending choices, local police rolled out a blunt, headline-grabbing tactic that exposes how divided the city is about crime and accountability.

A couple of years ago, Denver politicians slashed millions from the city’s fire and police department budgets to pay for benefits for illegal aliens, and residents are still living with the consequences. That decision tightened resources at the same time crime trends demanded more boots on the ground, not less. The Denver Police tried a simple, public-facing approach recently that instantly became a lightning rod for criticism and sarcasm.

“Don’t rape.”

That’ll show those criminals who’s boss. It reads like a line from a complaint, not a strategy, and lots of people noticed. The bluntness turned the campaign into a meme overnight.

The Left is a walking meme.

We’ll need all the help we can get. Public safety isn’t solved by slogans, and most voters know that. Enforcement, clear consequences, and sufficient funding are the basics that keep neighborhoods safe.

Such a stupid approach. There is a certain segment of the population that believes rape is legitimate and that women do not have rights. You can’t teach or tell them anything. You have to put them in prison.

That’s better advice. Treating violent criminals like citizens in need of counseling while leaving victims unprotected is a policy choice with costs. Cities that prioritize virtue signaling over enforcement end up paying with higher crime and less trust in government.

They can’t acknowledge the populations that actually do the raping, that would be racist. That avoidance mentality stops honest conversations about patterns, accountability, and preventing repeat offenders. Law and order means following the facts and backing police with the tools they need to lock up predators.

It’s amazing the crime rate isn’t zero. Crime is illegal, after all, and communities expect action, not platitudes. When leaders cut budgets and refuse to demand convictions, they hand a victory to criminals and a reason for citizens to lose faith in institutions charged with protecting them.

That’s one way to think of it. Other cities that reversed defunding and supported prosecutors who pursue real penalties saw measurable drops in repeat violent crime. Voters responded to results, not rhetoric.

That’s why they’re rapists. The hard truth is that some offenders will not be deterred by pamphlets or polite reminders. Deterrence requires consequences—jail time for violent acts and consistent enforcement of existing laws.

Denver’s stunt highlights a broader problem: when politics dictates criminal justice policy, safety becomes negotiable. Conservatives argue that restoring budgets, backing police, and electing prosecutors who prioritize convictions are the practical path back to safer streets. People who want secure neighborhoods demand policy that works, not campaigns that look good on social media.

City leaders who funnel money away from first responders to fund other priorities will hear about it at the ballot box. The residents who pay taxes expect protection first and political experiments second. Denver’s experiment shows the cost of ignoring that basic compact.

Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.