The FBI’s most recent statistics show that 73 officers died in the line of duty in 2021 due to violent attacks — an increase of 50% over 2020. This is the most line-of-duty deaths in one calendar year since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
According to data, COVID-19 was responsible for 458 more deaths of law enforcement officers. These deaths were not considered to have been in the line of duty, but they do show that something is wrong somewhere.
In the meantime, murder records in cities after cities are being broken.
According to ABC News, homicides reached record levels in 12 cities this year. Rochester, New York recorded 71 homicides, Indianapolis 246 (highest ever since 1991), and Philadelphia had 501 (highest since 1990).
In November, the FBI reported that officers were subject to unprovoked attacks, even though they had never been in direct contact with the offenders.
These hate crimes against officers stem from the apocalyptic rhetoric used by politicians and activists to put a bullseye upon the police. The activists claim that all police want is to kill black people and make every traffic stop a danger.
There is a pattern to the fates of these four officers.
Keona Holley was a Baltimore Police Officer who was attacked while driving alone. She died on Christmas Eve. Five days later, Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Riley died in an emergency call. Bradley Police Department Sergeant. Marlene Rittmanic was trying to find the owner of dogs left behind in a car when she was shot. On New Year’s Eve, Shane Bartek, a Cleveland Police Officer was killed in an attempt to carjack.
Although it may seem small and insignificant, officers are being killed because of a general lack of respect for law enforcement. This is on Black Lives Matter, and their ridiculous calls to defund police. This rhetoric also includes the idea that police should get whatever they want when they face an armed criminal.
It is better for a cop to be shot, knifed, or assaulted than for a person of color to be injured in a legal proceeding to arrest them.
“Defund” police officers is really a call for disarming them. Police officers will be punished for their “criminal justice reform” if we allow this slide into anarchy – light sentences for serious offenses, no bail, and non-enforcement law enforcement — as long as it continues.
