Sean Hannity Pushes The “Ferguson Effect” Myth: “I Believe It's Real”

From the November 2 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

Video file

SEAN HANNITY: All right. The president is arguing with the FBI director over the issue of the Ferguson effect. I believe it's real. The president was in your state today.

CHRIS CHRISTIE: Yeah. Well, listen, the president came to my state today to take credit for something he's got nothing to do with. Crime rates since I've been governor is down 20 percent in New Jersey, and the prison population is down 10 percent. Why? Because what we've done is focus on the real violent criminals, Sean, and we're backing up police officers on the street. In Camden, the murder rate is now down 53 percent in the last three years because we put a new police force in there, and we backed them up and they're working with the community. 

SEAN HANNITY: Fifty-three percent. 

CHRISTIE: In the last three years.

HANNITY: And you don't think we should send the cops out in ice cream trucks as some are suggesting?

CHRISTIE: No, you know what, our cops in Camden, you know what they do? They are out on bicycles, they're out on foot, they're interacting with the community. And when they need to arrest violent people, they're there, and guess what the communities trust them to do it too.

HANNITY: Do you believe this Ferguson effect is real? Because I have talked to many police officers, they're afraid to do their job. 

CHRISTIE: Oh, I absolutely believe it's real. As a former law enforcement guy, I believe it. I tell you why else it's going on, because you have folks like Barack Obama and Bill de Blasio and others who don't back up the police. Who, in fact, worse than don't back them up, take shots at them. Not only don't give them the benefit of the doubt, the benefit of the doubt is against them. And this president has lost the moral authority to discuss this. And that's why the FBI director is speaking out because the FBI director knows he's someone in this administration that has to back up law enforcement so he's doing it.

Previously:

Media Dismantle Gov. Christie's Lies About The Ferguson Effect

Experts Continue To Debunk Right-Wing Media's “Ferguson Effect” Myth