Central to McDonnell’s plan is the creation of a State Gang Coordinator and the move to add other public areas to the list of locations considered drug-free zones.
Wolf endorsed the McDonnell for the Republican gubernatorial nomination months ago. As McDonnell is unopposed, it did raise many eyebrows. However, speaking with Wolf it is obvious that he feels strongly about McDonnell as a candidate. It isn’t just a party endorsement. The pair’s prior work together and obvious mutual esteem may explain the strong support Wolf demonstrates for McDonnell. Then again, it could be their mutual concern over the issue of gangs in Virginia.
During Thursday’s appearance, Wolf said, “Bob McDonnell is the person to make the schools safe.”
Gang violence is an issue that McDonnell and Wolf both have a strong history and track record on.
Speaking to the small crowd outside of the Loudoun County Courthouse, McDonnell praised Wolf’s performance on the gang issue, noting that “There is no better partner in all of the U.S. Congress than Frank Wolf.”
Wolf is often credited for the fact that gangs in the region are not a larger problem, through his work on obtaining GRIP (Gang Resistance is Paramount) funding for Virginia and his efforts provide funding for the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force.
Despite the progress, McDonnell pointed the violent crime that the area has seen as a reason for concern—specifically mentioning the 2003 murder of Brenda Paz and the March 2009 murder in Loudoun of William Bennett and the brutal attack on his wife Cynthia while walking in the Lansdowne area. The Loudoun County Sheriff has confirmed that at least two of those in custody for the Bennett murder are known gang members, and that the other two are believed to have a connection as well.
Even so, McDonnell made it clear that public safety remains his primary concern and that “Public Safety is the top priority of government.”
McDonnell criticized prior administrations for cutting public safety positions when managing the state budget.
A full video of McDonnell’s plan to eliminate gang violence is available at www.loudouni.com.
Politically speaking, this is certainly advantageous for McDonnell. While no public official will ever support gang violence, as Attorney General McDonnell has a solid anti-crime background and can effortlessly slide from public policy to minute detail. Gang violence may not shift an election in McDonnell’s favor on its own, but as a candidate for Governor you want to begin amassing a large number of issues that you are associated with much more closely than your opponent. Gangs may indeed be one of them—particularly in Loudoun, still unnerved after the Lansdowne attack and the murder of William Bennett.
Interesting -- especially in light of the fact that no one has reported on the alleged connection between a Winchester man who was beaten, but some how got away, and Mr. Bennett. As I've heard, they were both to testify in the same trial. The way the Loudoun Co. Sheriff's office has explained this death does not really "jive" with most gang-related violence in the County. I, too, am unnerved by the murders, but on the face, there appears to be something they aren't telling us, rumors aside.