The “defund the police” campaign that started over four years ago has done catastrophic damage to our country.
In the wake of said campaign, a number of politicians -- including President Joe Biden -- have pushed for the removal of funds from police forces, diverting them elsewhere in an effort to “teach a lesson,” as it were.
However, the real lesson came in the backfire of the campaign. Thousands of officers, particularly in New York, have left their posts as a result of the lack of support and many still believe that, even in the aftermath of this with a massive increase in crime, it’s still the “right move” when it comes to the concerns of their community.
Tell that to Oakland.
The California city has seen a massive number of criminal acts over the past few days, including shootings and a hit-and-run incident, along with robberies and much more.
As a result, Police Chief Floyd Mitchell has actually put out a call to the community, in an effort to try and have them lend a hand in the ongoing effort to calm things down.
"What I am asking is for our community to take a serious look at ourselves internally about how quickly we result to gun violence," Mitchell explained in a statement. "We have to stop this. When you lose a life, that life is gone, there are better ways to go about the disputes that they are having. We are going to continue to work through cease-fire and the department of violence prevention to try to find non-violent ways to solve these issues."
Most of these shootings took place last Thursday, including a pair that left fatalities in their wake, and others injured.
Donald Lacy of the LoveLife Foundation also spoke on the matter, asking for the community’s assistance. "How can we figure out how to address what makes people violent? What can we do to get in front of these horrible crimes and at least get people to consider their actions before they pull the trigger, before they run over somebody in their car? It’s a bigger societal issue."
Violence prevention would certainly go a long way. But here’s something that would work even better -- the support of local government.
Don’t get me wrong. Asking the community for assistance in such a heartfelt manner, as Mitchell did, is certainly a noble move. But there’s only so much that the community can do without support from the powers that be.
Because they still control the funding. Funding that could have gone to better gear purchases and mental health support for officers who are already struggling beyond belief. Funding that could hire new officers to prepare for such a threat as this. Without that support, the community’s hands just might be tied.
The report I read noted that while officials “acknowledge the challenges they face,” they “remain committed to working with the resources available.” Sounds an awful lot like “oh, you want funding, but, sorry, we don’t have it.” Exactly what can the police do in that regard?
All it takes is a little push forward to make things right again. I recall a while back when Boston was overrun with criminal activity, and the police pushed for a budget increase, and broke down exactly where it could help.
But the Democrat leaders in that city decided against it, citing some sort of equipment issue within the police department and considering it untrustworthy. But, sure, never mind the officers that have already proven themselves.
Honestly, I’m seeing what’s happening across our country -- and not just Oakland -- because of this awful movement. Our officers are suffering, and hardly anyone in higher office seems interested in lending them a hand. So what do they do? They ask the public for help.
It shouldn’t be that way. Local governments need to be taking care of their officers, period. Because then, they can help take care of the community and provide them with the support they need. It’s a two-way street.
And, honestly, there’s only so long these guys can lead our beloved officers down a one-way street.
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
