Bad Timing for Police Legislation?
Tell me what you think
Even the best laid plans hold an element of uncertainty. Case in point: Yesterday afternoon, the senator’s office I’m working with on my police bill proposal provided an update. Regardless of his answer, I was prepared to respond with Plans A and B. What I didn’t anticipate was needing a Plan C.
You see, this conversation occurred around the time that news of possible impending civil unrest began to surface. Up until yesterday morning I was confident in my plans, only to be thrust into a state of indecision. It happens.
Let me know below: What would your Plan C look like?
Update on the Wisconsin Police Bill
In case you’re new around here, the Wisconsin police bill I’ve proposed is similar to Florida’s Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act. In short, it would mandate jail time for assaulting a police officer during a violent or unlawful assembly. Though there are currently state laws addressing crimes perpetrated against police officers, none have language mandating punishment.
Last November I met with a senator who was enthusiastic about my proposal; in fact, his office sent it to the state’s Legislative Research Bureau for formal draft. Since then, I’ve been working to gain support for the bill, which thus far has received thumbs up from several policing organizations and key shareholders.
Fast-forward to this morning. Here’s an excerpt from the staffer:
“So I actually just talked to Senator XXX office yesterday. They did introduce something fairly similar to this idea last session, it passed the Legislature, but the Governor did veto it. Since it was something another office previously worked on, it is usually up to that office to decide whether to reintroduce/tweak it or not. They said that since the Governor did get reelected, the chances of it getting reintroduced and signed into law are very slim. Unfortunately, that just seems to be the temperature of the water right now!”
I was well prepared for this part. This is a tough bill to get passed and resistance to it was expected.
Though I knew from the start that this bill had a slim change of passing in this climate, I still argued for it. For one, it would provide an opportunity to shine light on the increase in assaults & ambushes of police officers. And it could set the foundation for future bills. You have to start somewhere, right?
So I made myself a note to call this other senator early next week to make my case. This was about the time the Memphis story broke.
Upstaged Yet Again
The video of the Memphis altercation is supposed to go live tomorrow; my understanding is that it’s pretty damning. Police departments are reportedly on high alert. And true to form, certain members of the news media are already stirring the pot.
Maybe this worry will be for naught. Yet orders for police to stand down in the wake of the violence and mayhem of 2020 is still fresh in our minds. Compounding the problem is that there are now fewer men and women available to protect us. It’s understandable for people to be on edge and mistrusting.
So What Does This All Mean?
While I’m not one to give up easily, especially when I so strongly believe in a cause, it’s also important to be realistic. We had an opportunity to create meaningful change for police officers and the public, but the window to act has yet again passed. With the animosity again increasing towards cops and emotions running high, I’m not sure introducing a police bill right now is wise.
Policing is a hot mess right now. People are being forced to move out of cities they love because of rising crime. We have to think before traveling to great American cities like Chicago and NYC for fear of being victimized. Our leaders have betrayed and abandoned us.
While I’m all about being proactive and solving problems, I also realize that it’s going to take more than a few dedicated police organization professionals and concerned citizens to turn this around.
Maybe my friend is right - that the situation has to get worse before it can get improve. How much worse, I wonder. How many more police officers must be ambushed, innocent civilians victimized, and cities fall before people have had enough?
What are your thoughts on this?
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.
I agree that things will need to get worse before our elected officals listen to the voice of the public and it will take more voters VOTING before this happens.