Cops To President Biden-Keep Your 30 Billion-Change Your Policies

Highlights

The comments of police officers (and others) as to the President’s $30 billion in new police spending over the next decade.

Police officers are leaving. Violence is skyrocketing. There are cities that don’t have enough police officers to respond to 911 calls.

Author

Background

I recently wrote, “Biden Proposes $30 Billion To Expand Law Enforcement As Cops Continue To Leave.”

The article offered a variety of sources indicating that thousands of police officers are leaving. Retirements are up dramatically and recruitment has evaporated. Per media reports, there are cities that don’t have enough police officers to respond to 911 calls.

This article is based on the comments offered by the law enforcement, news, and true crime communities plus others.

Quotes

All article quotes are edited for brevity.

All comments from cops are edited for brevity and language.

Article

There are endless perspectives as to law enforcement tactics, historic violence, and police reform. I read multiple articles daily regarding violent crime and policing, mostly from progressive publications creating ninety percent of the content. The political and ethical divide is immense.

From progressives: Police violence and tactics are in desperate need of reform. Cops are routinely described as unethical and repressive; their primary purpose is to oppress minorities and the powerless. The endless parade of articles about the failings of “all” cops properly set the tone for most media coverage. They believe that stereotyping a million people in law enforcement based on the actions of a few is perfectly acceptable, it’s indicative of larger concerns. To progressives, most cops are the problem, not the solution.

From pro-police organizations: They believe that President Biden and progressives are completely out of touch with the American public, including minorities. Biden never called for the defunding of law enforcement, but his endless critical comments during the campaign did nothing to endear him and his supporters to most cops. As far as they are concerned, skyrocketing violence and fear of crime, people buying firearms in record numbers, and people-businesses leaving cities are solely the fault of progressives and their hopelessly naive policies.

With violence hitting African Americans and the poor the hardest, many (most?) police supporters see progressives as the essence of evil. With polls showing that, regardless of demographics, Americans regard law enforcement favorably and believe that the vast majority act appropriately with less than three percent using force “or” the threat of force during encounters, and with the Presidents’ approval ratings regarding crime tanking, the pro-cop side believes that they are solidly supported by the vast majority of the American public.

Example Articles After Biden Announced 30 Billion For More Cops

The Guardian: Police officers in America continue to kill people at an alarming rate, according to a data analysis that has raised concerns about the Biden administration’s push to expand police investments amid growing concerns about crime. Advocates argue that the persistent rate of killings was a critical reason the US should not be expanding its police forces.

The Marshall Project: Congress failed to pass bipartisan police reform legislation last fall, the Biden administration decided to pivot to an executive order that would have incentivized local law enforcement agencies to improve officer training, cut down on discrimination and racial profiling, and reduce excessive force cases. That presidential order has never been issued… President Biden’s delay also runs counter to his 2020 campaign promises.

The Crime Report: Since George Floyd’s murder in 2020, federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed legislation to address police behavior: The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act from Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., offered sweeping changes to officer accountability and limitations on use of force. But in every case, the reform efforts have stalled or failed.

Proactive Policing

The only effort that indicates reductions in crime are proactive police strategies via the US Department of Justice and the National Academies of Sciences. Proactivity means that officers will take their own initiative to approach someone when they have the legal right to question or search. Proactive policing embraces a variety of tactics. But proactivity has major challenges.

There is currently no methodologically accepted evidence supporting the effectiveness of any other proposal, from violence interrupters (supported in the President’s budget) to social initiatives. No one is suggesting that we shouldn’t try new strategies as long as they are evaluated by impartial outside researchers. But for the moment, proactive policing is all we have based on data.

But proactive policing is currently dead in the hearts of minds of many (most?) cops. They heard the protestors-politicians and media loud and clear.  The only modality with a chance to restore peace and safety is currently off the table despite progressive big-city mayors begging police officers to re-embrace the strategy.

Do Cops Trust You?

There are endless articles about what cities should be doing to restore confidence in the police and the fact that some do not trust law enforcement.

But there’s nothing asking what cities and communities should be doing to restore the confidence of law enforcement officers in them. Thousands of cops are leaving the job. There are endless articles about cities not having enough officers to respond to 911 calls. If proactive policing is our only current proven modality for violence reduction, and if cops refuse to engage in the practice due to the demands of protestors, where do we go from here?

There’s nothing stating that cops have to remain on the job. Millions of Americans are leaving their professions. Why wouldn’t that apply to police officers?

I see articles asking if people trust cops. My question is, do cops trust you? At the moment, the answer is no, which is why we have skyrocketing rates of fear and violence and why businesses and people are leaving cities. Data states that (72%) of officers are now less willing to stop and question suspicious persons, Pew.

Bad Cops

Do bad cops exist? Do bad priests, lawyers, business people, bankers, ministers, reporters, or doctors exist? Is there data indicating that law enforcement holds more troubled people than other professions? There is, however, data stating that Americans trust cops far more than most professions including the media and members of Congress.

But it’s obvious that officers believe they are being unfairly stereotyped in unflattering terms trying to do an impossible job. Correct split-second decisions under enormous stress without mistakes are unattainable. Families are insisting that their loved ones leave law enforcement immediately.

Comments From Cops-I Want It Carved In Stone

My article announcing that the President proposed billions of additional dollars to support law enforcement got hundreds of comments via email and social media. None were supportive of the President or progressive policies.

I once asked in another article what it would take for cops to return to proactive policing. “I want it carved in stone,” said one officer. “I want to know exactly what the city and communities want from me. Let communities figure this out for themselves. Let them do the heavy lifting as to crime policy. But don’t tell me that you want safety yet crucify me in papers when I do what you ask.”

Edited comments regarding the President’s proposal to add 30 billion to hire more police officers:

Progressives want the police defunded. Biden ran on a campaign pledge to cut the prison population in half. Both endlessly criticized the entire profession. What more do we need to know?

Is that an admission that the defund police strategy failed?

The anti-cop culture is too much for the average LEO to deal with, they simply can’t get their job done. I say let every community that ruled to defund their police in 2020 stay without their cops for at least a few years. People won’t change until they see the difference without cops and have to live in the wild west for a period of time.

With the dogma of the defund the police… prosecution of more police involved in the use of force by liberal-minded folks, increased violence against officers and wages/benefits/retirement systems bailing on benefits for doing the job. Naaa, none of this would affect recruitment and retention.

Mr. President, your very own political party counterparts preached the rhetoric of reform/defund, place scarlet letters on all in the professional, demonizing all in the profession as heavy-handed and abusive. Guess what? Their voices were heard loud and clear by those in this noble profession. Look no further than at yourself and your counterparts for all this senselessness of violence by engaging in false ideologies with political motivations above public safety.

Sure, just in time for midterm elections, talk about supporting law enforcement then after the elections <poof> cops are bad again.

Cops don’t need money, they need the politics to change. They need the support of the elected representatives. They need to not be threatened to be imprisoned for doing their job. That’s what they need to return to the job.

Typical democrat/progressives. Totally mess everything up then throw money at it. All that money won’t buy the experience their stupid agendas chased off. The only way to get that back is through time.

Where are all the unarmed social workers that were going to take their place, pay not enough a little to do a dangerous job?? $30Bn from this group seems more like they are trying to play both sides because they know what is coming.

Would love to know how much is really to “expand” law enforcement and how much is for social programs the left thinks should be part of the reimagined law enforcement. Waiting for the first case study of an unarmed (to de-escalate the situation of course….) social worker responding to a domestic abuse or barricaded gunman incident…… (Editor’s note, three violence interrupters were murdered in Baltimore. Social workers throughout the country are routinely assaulted).

As long as police are afraid to do their jobs for fear of being crucified for one minor error, even if that error doesn’t cause anyone any harm, you’re going to have a hard time hiring and retaining police.

Support the Defund the Police movement, then offer to give millions to LEO’s. No, you’re not at all pandering or waffling.

As long as putting yourself out there, working long hours to arrest some bad person that doesn’t get rewarded with the bad person going to jail, police are not going to put themselves out there.

As long as the media and politicians on the left side of the spectrum remain like vultures hanging overhead desperately, eagerly waiting, salivating for a cop to do something that can be interpreted as racism – even if it isn’t – you’re going to have a hard time hiring cops.

You can improve funding which is very needed but right now legal handcuffs are the main problem. Proactive policing is not only a financial issue, but officers have no actual power to attack crime head-on. We can’t chase stolen cars or use force to stop violent offenders. If the laws don’t change then the increase in funding means nothing.

It could be $300B; it won’t matter. None of the underlying problems will be fixed.

The radical DAs have to be ousted first. It doesn’t matter how many times we arrest someone if they keep getting let out. But that’s up to the people. If they don’t vote to put people in place to fix the problem, it won’t get fixed.

It’ll probably take about a decade of work to un-fu__ things and re-establish the rule of law. The big cities are going to be hell holes for a long time.

So are the rest of his party going to reverse their positions, start holding criminals accountable, and keep violent sh__bags off the streets?

The money isn’t the problem. Nobody wants to be the police anymore. And why would they? I started in LE in a city following a questionable shooting. After the riots subsided, things mostly went back to normal. Since COVID, there has been a huge uptick in people fighting because society and the media have told them they don’t have to listen to the police.

We do our jobs and have crowds of people videotaping us because they want to record us brutalizing someone so they can get their fame.

Election coming up. They know the democrats are in the toilet so they changed their minds to try and garner more votes.

First, Biden is all about Defunding the Police and now he’s learning how important they all are. A little too late “BRANDON”. lol

You reap what you sow! What’s amazing is that the Left, the Dems, and the Progressives who are the ones who promoted and endorsed the “Defund the Police” movement thought exactly what would happen? Things would get better? Crime would go down? We’d we be safer? Criminals would “self-reform?”

Now that Biden’s and the Democrat Party’s poll numbers are in the tank and this year’s Midterm elections are going to be their epic failure (crime is only one major failure) they suddenly got pro Law Enforcement? Gee…so coincidental….NOT!

The Left, Biden, and the Progressives pulling his “puppet strings” have created a third-world country! They all need to be voted out and become victims of the very criminals they coddled and unflinchingly supported which created this morass! To be honest with you nobody has time for the headaches.

We try our best to help but still get prosecuted for things that we do. All officers are not bad but they keep painting this picture that we are the problem and we don’t have enough training and we don’t have enough of this and we don’t have enough of that etc.

Let residents police their own city and see how that goes. Because at the end of the day we’re not responsible for your safety, you’re responsible for your own safety.

Approximately 10 LAPD Officers resign per week to seek other employment. Recruitment cannot fill the budgeted academy classes. The city knocked back the 20-year retirement benefit by 20% just a few years ago. They are being told to enforce laws and if they hold the wrong people accountable, they will face discipline and reduce their chances of promotions and assignments. The future is bleak and many don’t care as they are retiring or leaving out of state.

Out of 180 police departments surveyed around the country, there were 42.7 percent more resignations in 2021 than in 2019. This statistic should stand out more than anything else.

He can throw all the money he likes but until we get anti-police city, county & state leaders out, nothing will change.

Too little, too late. It will take generations to make up for this, much as law enforcement went through during the 60s and early 70s. We refuse to learn. SMH

Yet again waiting until the last minute to see which way the political winds are blowing. Big Guy’s getting good at it.

I guess defunding the police didn’t quite have the effect the left wanted. Shocker

You will only get the level of policing you will support.

Biden is only offering money (which the feds don’t have to begin with) because it’s a midterm election year. Plain as the nose on my face. And the bottom line is this. The left has screamed defund. Their wish was granted on large scale. Now that the damage has been done it’s going to take many years of concerted effort to bring policing back to the staffing levels circa 2019.

Lack of money created some problems, but relatively little. The real damage was done by the vilification of law enforcement and politicians viewing criminal offenders as victims by left-leaning radical prosecutors/DA’s criminally charging police for doing their jobs lawfully. And last but not least, many command personnel on many departments losing their spines and nads. Or not having them to begin with. Shameful throwing their officers (and ultimately the public they are supposed to serve) under the proverbial bus

It’s not a money issue. It’s how you are supported by the town or city you work for. If you are treated poorly…there’s no amount of money that would make you want to work there.

We are already in trouble and everyone can thank the media, present administration and the left-liberals for being the driving force for all of it! Many departments around our great nation had leadership that caved and gave in to all the BS that these roles played and the only ones injured in this conflict were the American citizens themselves! Wake up or live the life you ask for!

Biden and every single democrat pandered to the defund police movement. DO NOT TAKE THIS MONEY! They want reelection, period!! Not a single representative in DC cares about any citizens in the country. Only re-election

It’s truly sad what is happening in this country and how we treat our LEOs. We’d all better stand up and voice our support more or we’ll all be in trouble!

Unfortunately, this is one problem you can’t just throw money at and fix it! Police officers are tired of the lack of support from Administration/Politicians and media bashing !!!!

Let’s see… take a job with the most hated for enforcing the law, double the suicide rate than on-duty deaths, mental health issues like PTSD that aren’t considered workman’s comp claims, public outcry of defunding with governmental support, while trying to maintain the highest level of professionalism with understaffing, no administrative/legal support even if acting within the law/policy… or, just get a job without all that which pays you double and a longer life expectancy, mentally & physically.

Then the government wants to spend money on police. Okay, that’s all well and good. Those are grant-funded jobs that last about 4-5 years. Do you really think you are going to make an impact and maintain it after the grant-funded jobs have to be cut because the money ran out?

Don’t get me wrong, being a police officer is a major highlight of my life and I wouldn’t change what I’ve done or accomplished being one, but today is just a different story, and culture has rooted its way into a system that it demands that it runs the profession while having absolutely no clue how it runs. $30bil in 10 years, that’s $3bil/year. Split that up for how many departments a year? Again, impact?

Too little too late!

Very too late. Very sad

This administration and the Dem party are so clueless, the shortage at this point is no longer about money, it’s about the lack of respect these brave officers receive.

Go figure…if my company took away my tools, treated me like an idiot, and made me eat sh__ all day, then cut my pay…I would not only quit and look for a new job, but I’d also be looking for a new career…

It’s not about the money it’s about the policies.

The Expansion of the ATF or Gun Data Bases does Nothing to Stop Soros DA’s from Continuing to Release Felons in Possession of Fire Arms or Drugs. End Catch And Release.

Biden needs to add an Appreciation For Police Officers day as a national holiday.

Biden and Harris, both said we should “defund the Police” did they not? Now they want to spend $30 billion dollars after our police have quit their jobs.!!

The never-ending hypocrisy of the Lying Left.

So sadly true, and a lot of self-inflicted harm to cities around the country. Biden’s new plan reminds me of Clinton’s much touted election year promise of 100,000 cops on the street. Not many cops, but a lot of pork.

They can throw as much money as they want at the issue of the serious crime increase, but without the support of the politicians and communities, it will be business as usual. My heart goes out to EVERY police officer in this country who has shed tears for their communities because they are at the ends of their ropes.

Sad thing is most of the money they approve is put into social programs that do no good.

Wahoo, pull back the reins, the democrats were defunding LE across the nation, now as crime soars through the roof. The Democrats want to act like the good guys coming to the rescue, for the mess they made. Seems the Democratic party quit caring about US citizens many years ago.

What a bunch of dodo. He is so full of it. First, he wants to get rid of the police now he wants more of them. If I were a police officer and could afford it I wouldn’t come back to work on the force till they get the democrats out of office.

Well no sh__ you can only be beat up for so long before you say F it and find a new career.

See More