The “Soft on Crime” Myth Is Bad Journalism and Worse Policy

A data point without context isn’t analysis. It’s a political talking point.

Last week, Willamette Week published an otherwise excellent piece by Anthony Effinger examining how Multnomah County spends its $4 billion budget. Buried in the section on the District Attorney’s office was a sentence that deserves scrutiny: former DA Mike Schmidt’s prosecution numbers dropped 36% over a decade, and Effinger noted — almost as an aside —…