Growing Call to Disband Police Departments is Preposterous
OPINION EDITORIAL
I’m all for the peaceful protests and properly addressing any issues of racial inequality in America.
We need to have a frank, brutally honest national conversation about it.
However, the utter nonsense of defunding, disbanding or dismantling police departments around America is a preposterous idea.
It’s an insult to see the numerous media reports treating this like it’s a serious policy position.
We are a nation of laws. Laws must be enforced. Sworn police officers do just that. And, they’ve been doing it very well for many generations.
Sure, like with all vocations, clearly there are a few “bad apples.” Rotten ones in fact.
But, make no mistake about it, the vast majority of police officers are honest, law abiding and service minded.
In America, we don’t wipe out an entire classification because of the conduct of the few exceptions.
However, that’s exactly what a number of liberal areas are planning to do. For example, 9 of 13 Minneapolis City Council members have formally voted to disband their police force.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced this past Saturday that he does not support a full disbanding of the police department.
Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender enthusiastically supports full disbandment and replacing a police force with a new model of policing. They haven’t said what that means.
This is madness. But, it’s not unprecedented. Back in 2012, Camden, New Jersey disbanded their entire police department and replaced it with a Camden County police force.
Then Attorney General Eric Holder looked at disbanding the Ferguson, Missouri police department after the death of Michael Brown.
I really appreciate the present passion, especially the peaceful side. I have no respect for the violent, bad actors from Antifa and the other groups and individuals who espouse their radical views and violent agenda.
Many are losing focus and it’s getting out of control. When toy maker LEGO sends out a written communication to all stores to stop selling any LEGO product with police officers, firefighters, The White House and 27 other themes ... this is insanity.
Police and fire professionals should be respected and revered. Regarding The White House. This is The People’s House. How can trying to redact these icons be appropriate or good for our country?
We will never fix the injustices of past or present discrimination by picking new people or objects to discriminate against.
In the continuing insanity, bicycle maker Fuji has suspended the sale of police bicycles in all of North America.
This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. If this novel concept of removing the ranks of police officers from American society is doable ... what would we replace them with?
Some of the socialist democrat liberals are talking about replacing police officers with social workers. That’s preposterous.
Social workers are phenomenal and they do important and necessary work. But, no one should seriously attempt to propose that this switch could actually be implemented.
Imagine dispatching a social worker to a domestic violence call. A hostage situation. An armed bank robbery. To name a few. It’s not a serious proposal.
So, our national media and their fellow Democrat friends need to stop having this blatantly dishonest, foolish and dangerous conversation.
It only serves as a destabilizing influence and it makes the already difficult job of police officer nearly impossible to do.
Further, a number of Universities are discussing the possibility of discontinuing their working relationship with police departments.
All parents and students should investigate thoroughly before making your selections. There are times when the campus police can become overwhelmed. Their working partnership with law enforcement is essential to provide safety and security.
Just imagine if we did not have the Atlantic City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Atlantic County SWAT, Atlantic County Sheriff’s Officers during last Sunday/Monday riots and looting in Atlantic City?
What do you think would have happened?
In the end, it is certainly possible to address the issues of inequality in all of its forms, without implementing radical and dangerous reforms that we would surely regret.
SOURCES: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. The Hill. The New York Times. The Appeal (Minneapolis).