It's Not About the Money

It'll take much more than tax dollars to restore police staffing levels

Last month a bipartisan bill called the Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act (H.R. 8420) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to address nationwide police staffing shortages. It’s a well-meaning piece of legislation that commits an additional $162 million dollars to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.

Local law enforcement agencies can apply for COPS grants, which fund up to 75% of a full-time officer’s entry-level salary and benefits for three years. It’s a tool intended to increase crime prevention and community policing initiatives. So far, so good.

H.R. 8420 also mandates background checks and mental health evaluations for recruits hired through the COPS Hiring Program. Given that police departments are lowering their hiring standards to attract more applicants, this is a positive.

Yet the bill (and most politicians) misses the bigger picture. The issues that have created our nationwide police staffing emergency transcend money.

An infusion of cash will not inspire qualified men and women to apply if the odds are stacked against them.

Look at what cops are up against

• Government units are attempting to eradicate or limit qualified immunity protections for police officers, placing them at greater risk for losing their livelihoods. (Qualified immunity is not the same as blanket immunity. It only protects officers from personal liability when their actions don’t violate the law or subvert constitutional rights.) The Ending Qualified Immunity Act was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the House in the current Congress; and some states, including Colorado and New Mexico, have already succeeded.

• As violent re-offenders are being released on our streets to prey on innocent civilians and cops, decorated police officers are facing criminal charges (or have already been convicted) for using justified force in line with the law and their training.

• Municipal governments in some cities propose harmful policies (like banning tear gas as a crowd control tool) or they create civilian review boards filled with those who carry an anti-police bias. How are cops supposed to do their job if they’re forbidden to use effective tools, or if they receive constant messaging that they’re the problem?

• Elected officials use cops as political pawns and will throw one under the bus to illustrate a narrative. Added to the mix are a biased media and monied-interests, which together, have helped contribute to an overtly hostile environment in which to work.

• These same politicians and media platforms will, however, stay silent when cops are intentionally injured. Last year alone, databases like LEOKA captured more than 79,000 reports of attacks on officers. This doesn’t include the record levels of officers being shot and killed, including ambush style.

• Police departments are subject to federal Consent Decrees, which officers have told me are more about politics than accountability. They often restrict what officers can and can’t do, ultimately resulting in higher crime.

• Police officers are subject to burnout from mandatory overtime to compensate for staffing shortages. Those who’ve aspired to become detectives can’t fully investigate crimes because they have to cover empty slots.

• Internal politics and weak police leadership has become commonplace in policing; true leader-servants are a rarity. When cities hire politicized police chiefs who care more about their careers and the whims of the loudest voices in the community than their officers and the citizenry, rank-and-file is left dangling and department morale suffers.

And what about the money?

While police agencies (whose budgets are dictated by their city governments) must use COPS grant money specifically for hiring purposes, they’re still free to use other funds for excessive overtime and hiring bonuses. Both of these are a result of being understaffed due to the above listed conditions.

Consider that over the past year alone, police departments across the country have paid millions of dollars in overtime to compensate for staffing shortages. It’s especially prevalent in cities with pronounced anti-police sentiments or policies.

These include police departments in mid-sized cities like Austin, Texas ($50 million in overtime); Minneapolis ($21 million); and large cities like New York City ($100 million); Chicago ($293 million).

To coax new recruits, police agencies are offering excessive hiring bonuses, some in the tens of thousands of dollars. For example, Metro Police Department in Washington, D.C. (offering a $25,000 signing bonus); Seattle Police Department (A $30,000 signing bonus for lateral transfers and $7,500 for new recruits.)

There are a multitude of ways this money could be better spent. Or not spent at all.

This is the epitome of government waste, and our taxes fund this gross incompetence! We’re getting taxed more while getting less in return, including police services.

The bottom line is that until our elected officials get serious about addressing the real causes behind the police staffing emergency, and until they’re willing to stand tall with law enforcement, little will change. Investing in police departments is a great and necessary thing. Count me in! Throwing money at a problem that only exists because of poor policy choices and weak leadership, isn’t.

The next time an elected official takes a victory lap and crows about voting to fund law enforcement, ask them what their role was in creating our current staffing emergency, and if they’ll commit to shepherding real change.

In my last post, I mentioned that the House passed a measure making it mandatory for all U.S. males between 18 to 26 to be registered for selective service. After re-reading the post, I realized the paragraph was confusing.

To clarify, the rule would automatically register males between the ages of 18 and 26 for selective service. Currently, men have to sign up on their own. One of the justifications for this rule is that it would streamline the process. Since when are most government units interested in efficiency?

Although I work hard to produce accurate content and I do edit my work, I’m also only human, so something may inadvertently fall through the cracks. I also don’t know everything. Nobody does. The goal here is the truth, so if you ever catch an error, don’t be shy about letting me know.

The Cops Could Really Use Your Help!

There has been zero movement this past week on any of the federal bills I’m closely monitoring.

Please take some time from your schedule to contact your U.S. congressperson and senators, urging them to co-sponsor and support these bills.

Other Police and Public Safety Bills

The police and public safety bills I’m monitoring represent just a handful of those that have been introduced in the 118th Congress. This is not to say that those other bills aren’t important. It’s just that given time constraints, these are the ones I’ve chosen to focus on.

To get an idea of other key police and public safety bills, I recommend checking the extensive list of those supported by the Fraternal Order of Police.

The Continued Fall of Chicago

Visitors to Chicago attest to the city’s unique energy and vibe. Perhaps I’m biased because I was born and raised there, but then again, where can you experience some of the world’s greatest cultural events, eclectic neighborhoods, museums, shopping, and dining options -plus beach on the shores of Lake Michigan- all in one place?

At least it was like that once a upon a time. The city is currently in a dark place. Crime has become rampant, in large part because of the State’s SAFE-T Act. Reports surface seemingly every weekend about innocent civilians being killed, including this weekend. Assaults and robberies are even occurring in historically low-crime areas like Lincoln Park, River North, Jefferson Park, and Magnificent Mile.

Two of the latest victims are a 7-year-old child and retired Chicago PD officer. Where’s the outrage, the demonstrations, the wall-to-wall media coverage, the blame for these and other victims?

The elites and virtue signalers create policies not based on real life, but on academic and ideological theory. Although these policies harm everyone, they especially impact the very same communities they purport to care about. The policy makers and their allies have the luxury of walking away from the carnage. The neighborhoods, victims and their loved ones, and the cops are left to pick up the pieces.

Someone to Follow

Two years ago, the brother of Chicago native and political analyst Gianno Caldwell was murdered. Gianno took that grief and started the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety. Their goal?

“The Caldwell Institute for Public Safety is a 501(c)(4) dedicated to ensuring a justice system that prioritizes the safety and security of all law-abiding citizens by strategically supporting anti-crime candidates, advocating for legislation that makes communities safer, and providing comprehensive support services for victims of violent crime. We aim to create and foster solutions that effectively combat crime, support law enforcement, and uphold the principles of fairness and justice for every American.”

Godspeed, Gionno.

Attacks on Women

You’ve heard me talk about Independent Women’s Network and its sister organization, Independent Women’s Forum, the group of amazing women who have joined me in fighting for law enforcement and public safety.

The other day, vandals defaced the Our Bodies, Our Sports #TakeBackTitleIX bus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. What I can tell you is that these are among the strongest women I know, and they won’t back down.

In fact, one of our members recently appeared on the Dr. Phil show to discuss the immigrant crisis.

Lately, I’ve been especially mindful of how I expend my energy. As it is, there isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything I’d like for police and public safety; so I need to be protective of my time.

This includes not getting into Gotcha! arguments. I have a choice: I could spend an hour or more right-fighting with trolls and getting steamed up, which will solve absolutely nothing. Or I could use that time to do something productive, like researching a legislative bill, lobbying an elected official, or creating presentations.

I also make it a point to avoid spending time with those who I consider to be negative. These include naysayers, dishonest people, and those who flap in the wind depending on the politics of the day. Let them be, I say.

Good things happen when peaceful, reasonable people consistently show up to speak the truth, armed with the facts and a desire to serve and do good. It’s that simple, really. If we want to restore law and order to this nation, we need to be on our A-game. And that will require each of us to maintain huge stores of positive energy levels.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. : )

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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.