Los Angeles Police Department veteran Deon Joseph has strongly rejected recent remarks made by Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who claimed in a podcast interview that law enforcement is not meant to prevent crime, as reported by The Western Journal.

Crockett made her comments during an appearance on the Grounded podcast, hosted by former Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and journalist Maritsa Georgiou.

When asked about President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard and federal agents to crack down on crime in Washington, D.C., and the possibility of expanding such measures to Chicago and Los Angeles, Crockett criticized the move.

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“How is it that we have a government that is hostile towards its people?” Crockett said. “I mean, we are in the midst of a hostile government takeover, and it is our government that is like bringing the hostility.”

She went on to argue that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the National Guard are not “trained to go out and do what they’re doing,” claiming such work should be left to local police or federal agencies such as the FBI or DEA.

Crockett then added, “Law enforcement isn’t to prevent crime. Law enforcement solves crime. That is what they are supposed to do. They are supposed to solve crimes, not necessarily prevent them from happening, per se.”

Jasmine Crockett: “Law enforcement isn’t to prevent crime.“

I am incredibly grateful that the Democrats continue to promote Jasmine as their thought leader. pic.twitter.com/LePNoaVck5

— Tim (@Dragonboy155) September 8, 2025

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Joseph, who served more than two decades with the LAPD, pushed back on Crockett’s statement. “As a police officer, I did not sign up to be an after-the-fact entity in the lives of the people I serve,” he said.

“I policed in the ’90s and the 2000s, where bodies were dropping left and right. People were dying. People were getting shot. I would have loved to have more partnerships, more officers to be visible and present to deter all those precious lives from dying. It is my job to prevent crime.”

He further explained, “I would rather be visible, meeting with the community, trying to deter it,” adding that he preferred prevention to having to tell families their loved ones would not be coming home.

Joseph directed his comments at Crockett directly, urging her to reconsider her rhetoric.

“I would like for you, instead of taking the time to score political points against the president, to step away from your TDS just for a second and encourage more people to sign up and be law enforcement officers, so we can be present to prevent horrible things from happening,” Joseph said.

“Please, think before you speak. Stop playing games with people’s lives. Get away from your Trump derangement syndrome for a second and see this as an opportunity to save lives.”

Jasmine Crockett is wrong. It is our job to prevent crime. We just need more support. I didn’t sign up to just wait for people to be victimized. pic.twitter.com/0S5FezQmoH

— Deon Joseph (@ofcrdeonjoseph) September 8, 2025

Joseph’s response came as new crime data from Washington, D.C., showed a sharp decline in offenses following President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and other federal resources.

According to the D.C. Police Union, robberies dropped 46 percent, carjackings fell 83 percent, violent crime was down 22 percent, and overall crime decreased by 8 percent in the two weeks after the federal surge began.

Even Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged that the additional resources have resulted in a dramatic reduction in crime in the capital.