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Democratic Rep. Reuben Gallego, who is running against 2022 Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake for a U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, is being called out over his record regarding law enforcement practices and public safety.

Gallego’s push to reform police practices and restrict military-grade equipment for law enforcement has become a focal point in his Senate campaign. His public appearances and outspoken social media posts further highlight these issues, the Arizona Star reported.

Since his election to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010 and his subsequent service in the U.S. House of Representatives for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District starting in January 2014, Gallego has established a significant record on public safety and law enforcement.

Arizona voters have identified public safety as a key priority for the 2024 elections. The Arizona Voters’ Agenda survey reveals that, although immigration, border security, and water supplies are major concerns, public safety remains a vital issue, especially regarding the border crisis and community security, the outlet reported.

“Through his decade-long career in Congress, Ruben Gallego has proven that he isn’t just soft on crime, but he’s downright anti-police,” a spokesperson for Lake told the news outlet, adding that if Gallego were elected, “he would instantly become one of the most progressive, anti-police Senators in Washington, DC.”

The spokesperson added that his disdain for “law enforcement, sympathy for criminals, and support of anti-police legislation would jeopardize the operational capabilities of our law enforcement agencies and put our communities at serious risk.”

In June 2020, Gallego said police “don’t know how to use” certain weapons responsibly and in a “safe manner” because they’ve “never served in the military.” He went on to claim that police didn’t know how to use the “weapons in a safe manner” and that they were unnecessary to their law enforcement duties. He went on to support legislation that would cut supplying underfunded departments with surplus weapons and equipment that they used to protect their communities.

Doug Wyllie, a police matters expert, told the Star that armored vehicles and other so-called “militarized” equipment are crucial for law enforcement, especially in high-risk scenarios such as responding to violent crimes, armed robberies, active-shooter incidents, barricaded suspects, and hostage situations.

He criticized legislators for suggesting they would “eviscerate the program” despite ongoing riots. Wyllie labeled the ban on such equipment as “arbitrary,” emphasizing that items like camouflage clothing, while potentially intimidating to some, are crucial for officer safety, especially in situations where visibility can be a matter of life or death.

In February, the Washington Free Beacon published an article, “Ruben Gallego ‘Honored’ to Have Anti-Cop Group’s Endorsement,” in which the outlet noted he hailed the endorsement of The Indivisible Project, a progressive group that has “advocated for defunding police departments and dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”

Gallego said Indivisible “plays a crucial role” in mobilizing voters “around the issues that matter most.” He praised their work on the issue of abortion access and “defending our democracy,” and said he was “honored” to have their support, the Beacon noted.

Gallego touted the endorsement as crime and immigration issues emerge as challenges for Democrats in key swing states this election chycle. A recent Morning Consult poll at the time found that 51 percent of Arizona voters trust Donald Trump on immigration, while only 31 percent have the same confidence in President Joe Biden. Immigration is cited as the second biggest concern for voters, largely due to a historic surge in illegal border crossings.

Indivisible, which has received more than $4.6 million in funding from the liberal billionaire George Soros, has said it is “critical to defund police” and urged its members to “call your local officials and tell them to defund your local police department.”

Just 18 percent of Americans supported defunding police departments in 2021, according to a USA Today/IPSOS poll.

The post Kari Lake’s Dem Senate Opponent Called Out For Anti-Police Record appeared first on Conservative Brief.