AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
According to a recent report released by the Fraternal Order of Police, as of February 1, 34 police officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year, resulting in three deaths. Most concerningly, 9 of those 34 officers were shot in “ambush-style” attacks in which the clear intent was to murder the police officers in cold blood.
Yet even as most elected Democrats have now retreated from their prior open embrace of the “Defund the Police” movement and blatant anti-police rhetoric, they have shown a reluctance to take action to address these attacks, or even to punish the offenders more severely.
The 34 police officers shot so far in 2023 represent an 89% increase from the same time period in 2021 and a 113% increase from 2020. In total, 2020, 2021, and 2022 were some of the most dangerous years for police in recent history, with 331, 346, and 312 officers shot in the line of duty, respectively.
More than 175 officers have been killed in the line of duty since the start of 2020. The report notes that these numbers do not include incidents where police were shot at but not injured.
For more than a decade, police advocacy groups have been concerned about the ongoing rise in “ambush attacks” specifically. By one estimate, as many as 200 ambush attacks occurred in 2013. A study covering the years 2010-2016 found that 20 percent of these attacks were on cops seated in patrol cars, and 56 percent were “not on a call or engaged in any enforcement activity. Many of these officers were simply eating, sitting on post, or in five cases, targeted and killed while at their home or on their way home.”
The rise in ambushes has led to police maintaining a more aggressive and defensive posture, even when not on duty.
Ambush-style attacks increased following the death of George Floyd in 2020, a time period that saw the rise of the “Defund the Police” movement and the left’s sweeping demonization of police officers. FBI data shows that 2021 marked a 20-year high in intentional killings of law enforcement – surpassing the high water mark set in 2001, the year of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. 2022 was another deadly year for cops, with many police chiefs around the country sounding off on the rise of violence targeted at their ever-dwindling police force.
Despite this, most Democrats have been reluctant to call for stronger protections for local police forces, even as many distance themselves from their prior open disdain for law enforcement.
While President Joe Biden has been careful to avoid any direct association with the “Defund the Police” movement, he has also made little effort to tamp down hostility toward police.
At an event in Washington, D.C., in January, Biden insisted that “we have to retrain cops,” implying that police officers habitually make unnecessary use of deadly force – a favorite line of the “Defund” movement. “The fact is if you need to use your weapon, you don’t have to do that,” Biden said. The president also implied during his State of the Union Address in February that racial minorities should be afraid of police officers, adding more fuel to the anti-police fire.
Many congressional Democrats have also continued to call for more restrictions on police, something law enforcement groups say would be devastating for officers already being targeted by violent criminals. Although Biden already banned choke holds and no-knock warrants via executive order last year, the Congressional Black Caucus has also called on the White House to force through additional measures like the end of qualified immunity for officers.
The media has piled on to the anti-police rhetoric as well, most recently using the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man, at the hands of five Black police officers to bizarrely argue that American policing is “systemically racist.” Mainstream networks and newsrooms have also conspicuously avoided any mention of the national rise in violence against police.
Republicans, meanwhile, have called for more protections for police officers in the wake of the ongoing wave of violence against them. Earlier this month, Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and John Kennedy (R-LA) reintroduced the Thin Blue Line Act, a law which increases punishments for attacking or killing local police officers to be in line with punishments for attacking a federal officer. The measure would make killing, attempting to kill, or intentionally targeting local law enforcement officers an “aggravating factor in favor of maximum sentences, including capital punishment.” However, the bill has drawn virtually no support from Democrats, another sign that anti-police sentiment still holds great sway within the party.
Democrats once again appear to be heading down the path of favoring criminals over cops and putting false notions of “racial equity” ahead of public safety. Yet just as has been the case in the past, they may once again find themselves on the receiving end of public ire once the predictably disastrous results of such policies come to pass.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
Death Wish time OK for Blue cities
Why hasn’t anyone from the media asked Obiden, Oharris or Ogarland about their opinions of George Soros and what type of relationship they have with him? Have they taken any of his money? Soros is the number 1 enemy of the US and should be tried, tarred and feathered then dragged through the streets.
Most policemen are good and ethical professionals whose job is to serve and protect. They deserve our utmost respect and admiration. Without them, all hell would break loose, even in peaceful parts of our country. Anyone who purposely kills an honest policemen deserves the death penalty — plain and simple. There is no valid excuse for a criminal, sane or insane, to attempt killing a member of law enforcement. Whenever I see a police person, I greet them with warmth and respect, and often, I tell them that I appreciate their noble profession.
Why isn’t the police force protesting the lack of leadership in protecting the people rather than allowing these thugs to travel freely?
The true shock will come when teachers a held to the same scrutiny
How many more police officers have to die before the sheep wake up.
The defund police propaganda has done its job. Brandon has made it even greater by making everything racists.
But what do you expect from this man that is being paid by Soros to say these things. America has to be destroyed from within.
Lori Lightfoot, EX-MAYOR of Chicago, was just voted out of office after only one term BECAUSE Chicago residents DIDN’T FEEL SAFE WITH CRIME EXPLODING CITYWIDE! When MURDERS make it impossible to feel safe and hundreds of businesses close and leave the city, the audacity of this Jackass to claim that she was leaving the city “better off” when 71% of the Democratic voters REJECTED HER is just pompous boastful buffoonery! Good riddance!
Some day I hope all those who are for “defund” the police, or those who set them up for a kill, reap what they have sown. When they need a policeman there may not be any around.
without laws we have nothing but disruption of society. Those who want to defund the police should not be able to have private guards, walled homes or any security. Let the criminal know where they live and open up their lives so they cannot ask for help when robbed or murdered.
I think we are seeing the tide turn in this country. We are going to take it away from the woke. This trend has run it’s course, the American citizens are waking up to woke. Many people are led around like a pig on a rope, until they figure out they are being led down a path that isn’t good for themselves. People have figured this whole Democratic nonsense is not good for them, not good for the country, and not good for the world. The Chicago mayor just found out just how woke we ain’t. Democrats have nothing to convince anyone that they have a good plan for anything. Running city, state or federal governments just isn’t in the DNA of democrats, unless you count running them directly in to the ground.
HOPE ALL CRIME VICTIMS ARE liberals ONLY
Who were the shooters? Publish their names and photos.
There is a simple solution to this attitude. Their spouses and children and grandchildren need to be assaulted, raped and murdered with zero help from the cancelled police force. Must be hell to be that stupid and stubborn but so be it…
Participate in National Day of Prayer, everyday at 8AM. “Dear Lord Jesus! Defeat Satan and all his minions. Come Lord Jesus, Come!”
‘Defund the police’ came from the realization that some cities and metropolises have what amounts to a police ‘army’ complete with body armor and the whole 9 yards. The big precipitator was of course in Minneapolis, and the ofoficer chiefly responsible for that, Derek Chauvin, is now in prison where he belongs. Law enforcement, like the military, first has a duty to regulate itself before they go working on the public, and had there been no chronic underlying pattern of incompetence, misconduct, and apparently criminality on the part of law enforcement, then there would not have been such a national groundswell response to Minneapolis nor police quitting in droves etc.
Why are people shooting at police, what’s the common denominator, and what reforms and changes have honestly taken place in terms of management, training and performance standards, as well as public oversight, since Minneapolis. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and incompetence, mismanagement, and flat-out dishonesty along with documented public corruption problems at City Hall can lead to big problems down the road when their police forces are then sent out to deal with problems and work with the public..
Bye bye Lori Lightfoot! Don’t let the door hit you in the a– on the way out!!!! Good riddance!!!!!
Hope we never hear from you again!!!!!
I beg to differ, Bert33. Those howling to Defund the Police aren’t doing so because Law Enforcement is well armed, and as you say, “complete with body armor and the whole 9 yards.” Consider who is chanting this ignorant battle cry. Is it those of us who have full time jobs, teach our children right from wrong, stand for our Flag, kneel in prayer, and obey the Law? Or is it those who riot in our streets, looting and assaulting because they can, and have no regard for life or property? Pretty sure the hardworking men and women of America weren’t the ones who started all this nonsense. As for your comment on “body armor”, Thank God our Law Enforcement has that small bit of protection against the vicious gangs and criminals who would love to see them defunded. Imagine how much more lucrative their illicit activities would be without the Police getting in their way?
Demon party officials usually live in ‘safe’ neighborhoods. This includes dem robots who happen to make a lot of money. These areas have favorable ratios of cops to citizens. As well, there is keen competition on the part of cops to be hired by those jurisdictions. There is often very fast response time, meaning two minutes. These disingenuous officials and reflexive robots gleefully call for the police to be defunded in big blue cities, not their leafy little enclaves.
Just because you have “more money” doesn’t give you the right to deny those poorer than you are less safe on the streets that you probably don’t walk on without a bodyguard. Granted there need some changes to how to handle criminals when engaging but you don’t get to be the one making that decision since you really don’t know reality.
I still think it is a plot to get people to defend themselves by shooting miscreants so martial law can be declared to stop the carnage by confiscating weapons.
If that’s not true, be glad I’m not a Democrat.
The pro-crime, cop-hating, open borders, defund-the-police, Soros DA Democrats are who they are. Don’t expect them to change their stripes.
Very good article, I believe that there is a need for more airborne law enforcement units, more police helicopters would help provide the advantage that police need to maintain law and order. Law enforcement is an honorable profession .
Any ideas about defunding the police must be coming from those who aren’t playing with a full deck, don’t have both oars in the water, are out to lunch , just plain not all there. Those of us who are intelligent , have a sense of responsibility, and believe in defending Liberty , and defending Justice, defending Civilization, we will prevail , in other words, the ” defunders ” are wrong and the ” defenders ” are right , and the defenders are right because of the sense of honor ,the sense of duty that is involved in protecting everything that is right. Courage , is a great quality. Law enforcement requires courage. Good sense combined with courage will help keep the United States of America free. May God guide the country on the right course.
Why is it any surprise that the Fascist liberals hate Law Enforcement. Crime out of control and no Law Enforcement is the only way they can declare martial law so they can stay in power opening up our borders to be attacked.
In a word…FASCISM.
How else can the Fascist liberals continue to violate the Law and U.S. Constitution as they have been doing since 1-21-21?
Except of course weaponization of the DOJ and FBI who continue to protect criminals in the White House
that continues to break the law.
Most people have no capacity for violence. They are healthy productive citizens. They see the good in others and cannot understand why violent people hurt others. They are like the sheep in a flock. sheep are calm, loving and trusting. If someone has a love for violence and no empathy for other people, that person is an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.
Few people have both the capacity for violence and a dislike of violence, andalso have a deep love for their fellow citizens. What is that person? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human dementia, and walk out unscathed.
We know that the sheep live in denial, which is what makes them sheep. They are wonderful and loving. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. The sheep do not like the sheepdog. He looks a like the wolf. He has fangs, a wolf’s face and snarles. The sheep are afraid of the sheepdog.
The difference, though, is that the sheepdog loves the sheep. He will gladly give his life to protect the sheep. He would never harm a sheep.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. The sheep ignore the sheepdog. The sheep do not allow the sheepdog to sleep with them. He is always alone, but his love for the sheep never falters.
Then the wolf shows up. The wolf scares the sheep so much that they cannot move. They cannot run. They are frozen. They do not know how to fight.
But the sheepdog lives for the day the wolf shows up. He dreams about it. He waits for it. He wants to take down the wolf. The sheepdog is vicious toward the wolf. The wolves are afraid of him.
Police officers are like the sheepdog. We are the protectors of modern civilization. Without police there would be no peace. The wolves would consume us all. People would not be able to even sleep peacefully at night. Without police officers, we would all suffer.
I walked a plain clothes foot beat at night on skid row at night for years. I arrested people quite frequently for selling children into sexual slavery. I arrested people who even ate babies.
Most of the residents on skid row were addicts or mentally ill. Very few desired to hurt others just for the “fun” of it. I hunted those that did. I lived for the night I could put one in jail. I was a sheepdog. I was a Los Angeles Police Officer.
People who want to defend the police need to be careful of what they ask for. They might just get it.
Says the single MOST protected person on the planet…. ‘POTUS’. He’s certainly part of the current problem.
Sick n tired of BLM all lives matter!!
The Dems don’t want to take our guns to protect children, but they use that narrative. No, they want our guns so they can force their will on us.
I hear people say, “Taking guns away to stop crime, is like taking cars away to stop drunk drivers.” One thing to remember, CARS can’t be used to prevent them from forcing their will on us.
Don’t fall for the Dem’s lies.
Very good article and I totally agree with the writer. Biden and the Dems are SUCK, SUCK and SUCK. Period
The police lost their best tool providing safety for them and the public when they no longer could say “stop or I will shoot”. That one line left no doubt to what would happen if you disobeyed the officer. Only the most hardened of criminals would try to disobey keeping everyone safe. Without that one tool the carrying of a firearm for the police is at best amusing decoration, only the criminals are allowed to shoot.
The Dems want to destroy police departments as we know them, and install a federal police department. Then the politicians will have control over all the taxpayers and control they will and not in a good way. Scary!
To All of the Elected Officials who are pushing the Defund the Police Travesty…I demand you give up all rights to personal security. You absolutely don’t need it, and most of all do not deserve it. And above all a waste of money.