(Editor’s Note: The author is the founder and president of Care for Cops, a charity which helps families of law enforcement officers that were killed in the line of duty. Since inception in 2000, Care for Cops has assisted over 1,000 people of law enforcement families.—eeb)
By David Post
President, Future Security, Inc.
SUWANEE, Ga. | Why are there so many police shootings! The first thing that I would ask, is why are there so many situations that the police need to defend themselves? And why are officers being ambushed?
Post
If I knew all the answers to those questions, I might be in the White House.
Even though I have a bachelor’s in psychology, an MBA in Security and Risk Management, 50 years as a security and business consultant, and a sworn reserve deputy most of my 47 years in law enforcement career, I can only surmise at why we are where we are now!
Let’s start back in the 1940s when most families had both parents, were hard workers and just wanted the best for their children. To do better than they did! Instead of teaching them about hard work, mostly it was about getting education!
The next generation, although more educated, didn’t seem to appreciate the hard work it took to get ahead, even though with a booming economy more jobs and opportunities were available. Many still worked hard and took advantage of building careers, businesses and families, but many just made do or barely got by.
The next generation thought they should have more and became rebellious about just about everything that they didn’t like. Oh, and then there was Dr. Benjamin Spock who wrote books and gave lectures about not spanking your kids, and just letting them act out. After a whole generation of parents believing and finding a reason not to spank, a generation of new teenagers and grownups lack self-discipline and self-control.
I can’t even count the times after a crime was committed or someone was hurt, a question was asked: “Why did they commit the crime?” Their answer was either I don’t know, or “I was angry!”
Some 25 years later Dr. Spock apologized, but it was too late!
Now we have joblessness, more drugs and more criminals than any time before. Authority, in any form is denounced by many, and there is now a perceived justification to rob, kill, and steal…to survive! When our leaders become too liberal, letting criminals out of prison way before they should be out, or get off with crimes because of a liberal justice system, it is hard on the public and law enforcement. Add to this the negative morale related effects on the public and those who risk their lives to get the perpetrators off the street in order to benefit the public!
Law enforcement agencies across the country are short-handed because experienced officers are taking early retirement, or officers are moving into other areas of work. The attitudes that have developed because of the media and politicians focusing on negative events instead of the positive things law enforcement has done means that many who would have gone into law, simply will not!
With law enforcement line of duty deaths up over 70 percent from last year, it should be evident, especially when officers are being ambushed, that criminals are becoming more brazen, as liberal judges and politicians pull their support for the law enforcement community!
We can only change things by dealing firmly with the criminal element, supporting law enforcement, and focusing on the good being done by law enforcement.
Just as abject poverty rewires your brain, so does loss of hope! We need to be more positive and give our citizens, including those on the wrong side of the law, hope!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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