If Democrats, anarchists, and leftists have their way, Americans will be left with no rights. The Left’s persistent, virulent attacks on police officers and police departments are undermining the police power of government, which is designed to protect the rights of all.
Now, these very dangerous cranks want to defund police departments and actually disband police departments in some cities. Democratic Party elected officials have proposed a new, different kind of police force.
Cops perform an extremely difficult job. Every time they put on a uniform and go out into our neighborhoods and streets, they run a risk that they will not return home at the end of their shift. They protect the defenseless. Their presence allows all of us to work, play, and enjoy our associations with one another.
The tragic death of George Floyd should not result in the emasculation of police forces. The attack on police by leftists will result in more crime. Defunding departments will mean that there will be fewer officers, with inadequate equipment and training. Will that make us safer? Will that result in the kind of lawful society that allows individuals to pursue their dreams?
No. It will actually result in oppression by lawless bullies and domestic terrorists. And, unfortunately, it will be disproportionately oppressive to the neighborhoods that need the most policing.
Those on the Left are asserting that police need more training on how to deescalate tense situations. I agree. That’s why I introduced numerous pieces of legislation to provide funding for these types of training programs when I served in the Arizona legislature. Not one Democrat joined in sponsoring the legislation, nor did any vote for the bills.
Occasionally, an individual police officer will abuse his authority, and sometimes someone will have contact with an officer who acts like a jerk, but the vast majority of cops play it straight. By far, most officers do a great job.
But good cops have endured relentless attacks from the Left, it was a group of Black Lives Matter activists that chanted such peace-promoting slogans as, “What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want it? Now.”
As this dangerous attitude has filtered up to members of Congress, state capitols, and city governments, police will have little reason to stick around. As it is, most big-city police departments have a hard time filling their forces with qualified trainees.
Ideas floated by Democrats that will result in increased crime include defunding and abolishing enforcement of our immigration laws, defunding or abolishing police departments, elimination of qualified immunity for police officers, elimination of no-knock service of arrest warrants, and prohibition of the use of military equipment.
Each of those ideas is designed to reduce the capacity of police to enforce our laws and protect the communities in which they serve. Failure to enforce laws, including immigration laws, emboldens people who are already inclined to violate the law to continue; you lose specific and general deterrent effects. Defunding police departments means training and equipment will be inadequate. Abolishing departments — no one even knows what that will look like.
Officers will be personally liable, not just for gross negligence or intentional wrongs. Even though departments are already liable without immunity and can punish an officer for any misconduct, officers will face increased scrutiny by avaricious trial lawyers. Good luck keeping and recruiting great officers.
Providing notice to bad guys that you are coming in and giving them the equipment edge will put the public and officers in harm’s way.
My colleagues in Congress have asserted that they merely seek justice, yet every officer involved in a high-profile case this year has been fired and charged with crimes. The U.S. attorney general, at the direction of President Trump, is investigating the Floyd case.
Here are two predictions about the results of the Left’s congressional agenda now being floated: One, it will cost billions of dollars, which we do not have and which will not be properly accounted for, as their policies fail to deliver on whatever promises Democrats make; and two, it will result in increased crime rates, if they honestly count the data.
Democrats always tell us to give up our guns and simply call the police when we are under attack by armed bad guys. Now, they tell us we should abolish the police.
They are wrong about their proposed policy changes. They are wrong about the Second Amendment. They are wrong about their desire to defund and abolish the police. They cannot even bring themselves to admit that the “peaceful” protests were none too peaceful, killing innocent people, maiming others, and destroying hundreds of millions of dollars of property representing the life’s work of many. They are even wrong on the extent of Congress’s role in this matter.
We count on our police forces to protect the rights of everyone. The Left’s design is to undermine our civil society. Instead of meaningful change, they will inflame passions.
Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican, represents Arizona’s 5th District in Congress. He is chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. You can follow him on Twitter: @RepAndyBiggsAZ.
