America’s top police union is calling out criminal-friendly politicians and prosecutors in a Christmastime plea to the nation to help stop the historic surge in attacks, ambushes, and shootings of the men and women in blue.
“Enough is enough,” pleaded Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, in an early morning statement accompanied by a new report showing just how fatal 2022 was to law enforcement.
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“Last year we saw more officers shot in the line of duty than any other since the National Fraternal Order of Police began recording this data in late 2015, and this year is not far behind,” he said.
“Frankly, it is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 36 years of law enforcement,” Yoes added.
With two weeks left in the year, he reported that 323 officers were shot in the line of duty so far this year, just shy of 2021’s 346 and up 13% from 2019.
Of those officers who were shot, 60 were killed by gunfire, just three less than last year and up 23% from 2019.
Most shockingly, he said that there were 87 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers this year. In those, 31 officers were killed and 124 were shot.
Yoes, who has been raising concerns alongside other law enforcement leaders about prosecutors going easy on criminals, put the blame on rising crime and attacks on police directly on the legal and political world. He used the release of the new report to call on Congress to support the “Protect and Serve Act” that would establish new penalties for those who target police.
“This past year has been one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement in recent history due to the increase of violence directed towards law enforcement officers as well as the nationwide crime crisis, which has seen criminals emboldened by the failed policies of pandering prosecutors and cynical politicians,” said Yoes.
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“Law-abiding citizens saw the real-life consequences of what happens when elected officials embrace pro-criminal, revolving-door policies and make decisions that put the interests of violent offenders ahead of public safety. These decisions — failures to prosecute violent offenders for their crimes or, even worse, releasing repeat offenders arrested for crimes who show a propensity for escalation of violence — make our communities less safe. These rogue prosecutors are putting innocent lives at risk. When there are no consequences for breaking the law, more people will break the law and crime will increase,” he said.
“I call on Americans in every community across the country to join us in taking a stand — to say, ‘Enough is Enough!’ Truthfully, the violence against those sworn to serve and protect is beyond unacceptable; it’s a stain on our society, and it must end. It is incumbent upon our elected officials and community leaders to stand up, support our heroes, and speak out against the violence against law enforcement officers,” he added.
