Commentary: Where local prosecutors have failed, the federal government has stepped in

Chad Mizelle, Chicago Tribune on Oct 15, 2025

Published in Op Eds

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America’s cities are in crisis.

From Washington to Chicago to Portland, violent crime has surged, leaving Americans fearful and fed up. Carjackings in broad daylight. Smash-and-grab robberies. Terror in train stations. For too long, soft-on-crime policies have turned our once great urban centers into a wasteland of failed ideology.

What America needs now is clear-eyed leadership — the kind that values compassion for victims and consequences for the violent. That’s the leadership Pam Bondi is delivering at the Department of Justice.

Across the country, George Soros-backed prosecutors have promised reform but delivered chaos. They’ve adopted cashless bail, declined to prosecute repeat offenders, used diversion programs to avoid jail for the violent and abandoned the police.

Unfortunately, this ill-guided, criminal-first movement also includes progressive judges and politicians, such as Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, who joked about murdering the former speaker of the Virginia House Todd Gilbert, a Republican. Or U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, who sentenced the attempted assassin of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to only eight years, when the Department of Justice score was 30 years.

This failed ideology has consequences. And victims.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, our nation gasped in horror as a criminal who was arrested and released 14 times allegedly stabbed and killed Iryna Zarutska on public transit. And in Memphis, Tennessee, homicides, domestic violence and robberies continue to destroy families and terrorize residents.

That isn’t compassion — it’s abdication. When prosecutors stop avenging victims, they stop being just.

Where local prosecutors have failed, the federal government has stepped in. The U.S. Department of Justice has been aggressive in cities where crime is out of control, proving that decisive leadership works.

Since taking over law enforcement duties in Washington, the DOJ has made 3,837 arrests — a number that highlights both the depth of the problem and the power of real accountability. In Memphis, federal authorities have made nearly 300 arrests in just under a week, dismantling violent networks that local agencies struggled to contain.

These are not just statistics; they are a lifeline for communities that have been abandoned.

Bondi built her career on the belief that justice must be firm, fair and focused on the victim. As Florida’s attorney general, she pursued human traffickers, fentanyl distributors and violent offenders. She strengthened laws protecting children while expanding rehabilitation programs for those willing to change.

As a violent crime prosecutor, Bondi understands what too many leaders have forgotten: enforcement and empathy are not opposites but are partners in public safety. Empathy for the countless victims of crime. Enforcement for the criminals. Alongside Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, himself a former street-crime prosecutor, FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole and U.S. Marshals Director Gady Serralta, this Department of Justice has developed a blueprint to make America safe again.

This model is what our cities need now. It’s not radical. It’s responsible.

America’s future depends on leaders who can restore order without losing heart. Bondi’s record offers the road map: Prosecute violent criminals, partner with state and local law enforcement, stand firm in the face of resistance, and never lose the unwavering belief that victims deserve protection and criminals deserve consequences.

The DOJ’s success in D.C. and Memphis shows that when law enforcement is empowered and consistent, safety follows. What’s missing in too many cities isn’t money or manpower — it’s courage.

The most ineffective politicians are often masters of rhetoric and self-deception. Chicagoans know this all too well. But behind all the bluster, one truth remains: When law and order fails, nothing else works.

Bondi will not forget that truth. America shouldn’t either.

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Chad Mizelle is a former chief of staff at the Department of Justice.

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