Police Leadership Shift Needed, Qualified Immunity Bill, and New Documentary

Plus a book about regaining civility

Sorry for the delay in posting. I’ve been ill for the past week (I rarely get sick so this one caught me off guard) and am trying to play catchup. Though my Thanksgiving holiday was a bust, I’m sitting here now, feeling immensely grateful for the blessings in my life. And that includes you, reader!

Now let’s get to work . . .

We Need Dramatic Shifts in Leadership

As dismal as things seem, this moment in time doesn’t have to be the new normal. We can experience a renaissance. Here’s the but . . . I don’t think it will happen organically; too much damage has been done.

A primary catalyst that will help us claw our way out of this mess is an influx of genuine leaders - in politics, business, and of course, policing.

If you’re not certain that solid leadership makes a difference, consider New York City’s revival in the 1990s. Working closely with the NYPD, then new mayor Rudy Giuliani adopted “tough-on-crime” policies, including a broken windows model of policing. The result was a dramatic drop in crime during his tenure (and that continued under Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s leadership), including a decline in violent crime by more than 56 percent. Sadly, NYC is on a downward spiral and is need of a new revival.

So yes, things can change for the better. The type of country most of us want, however, won’t materialize without selfless, courageous men and women who put the welfare of this nation before their own egos and selfish needs.

As retired law enforcement officer, Paul Manicone recently said:

“The problem is never the cops, it's the cowards who lead them. Cops could quickly clean up our cities if our woke leaders would just let us.”

To understand what a real leader looks like, check out this interview with my dear friend, retired Chief Mike Koval of the Madison Police Department (Wisconsin) for the NPA Report. This is a chief who, despite enduring relentless criticism and harassment, always stood firm to his oath, the U.S. Constitution, his officers, and community. I firmly believe that if we had more Chief Kovals in positions of leadership, our nation would be in a different place right now.

If you’re interested in interviewing the Chief (and your show, podcast, or article will be the better for it!), please drop me a line at fortheblue@substack.com and I’ll put you in touch.

New Federal Bill Designed to Protect Qualified Immunity for Police Officers

The elimination of qualified immunity is a major factor contributing to the police staffing crisis. It also threatens public safety. Which cop, after all, wants to risk losing everything over a frivolous lawsuit? As a matter of survival, police officers will increasingly retreat from situations that may compromise them.

Qualified immunity, as many of you undoubtedly know, is not synonymous with blanket immunity. What it does is protect police officers from personal liability, only when their actions don’t violate the law or subvert constitutional rights.

Federal legislation aimed at ending the qualified immunity doctrine was introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate earlier this year. (Thank goodness the bill seems to be going nowhere.) And several states in the union, including Colorado and New Mexico, have already passed laws to eradicate or reduce qualified immunity for police officers.

There’s hope on this front in the form of a federal bill called the Local Law Enforcement Protection Act, which was introduced in the House this past August. It creates federal incentives for state and local governments to protect qualified immunity protections for police officers.

To learn more about this bill, please read my new press release for the National Police Association. Then urge your congressperson to co-sponsor it!

We should also ask legislators keen on eliminating qualified immunity for police officers if they and their colleagues (as well as judges and prosecutors) would be willing to lose these same protections. Their decisions, after all, can certainly have negative repercussions on our lives - so why are officers of the law expected to be held to higher standards than they are? {Rhetorical}

Is This Where We’re Headed?

Last week, the New York Post ran a story with the headline, NYPD cops leave force in alarming rate — over 2,500 turned in badges so far in 2023.

Per an anonymous NYPD officer:

“I keep in contact with the guys that I was in the police academy with and we all have the same notion,” he said of his 2004 class of 2,400. “I think maybe 95% of us are planning on leaving.”

“He said the ex-NYPD officers tell him they were “afraid to make arrests” because of the anti-cop climate in the Big Apple, and when they do make a collar, it’s “what’s the point?” and “we’re shoveling sh-t against the tide” because the bad guys are right back out on the street.”

Who will replace these officers, as well as those leaving en masse from police departments across the country? Even if police departments do manage to replenish these numbers, will the new recruits be of the caliber we all expect and deserve?

Consider a recent attempted arrest by officers of the Chicago PD. I’m not certain if this is a case of poor training or of cops fearful of being reprimanded for {gasp!} enforcing the law.

It’s also not an indictment of CPD, as these scenarios are likely being played out across the country. It does, however, beg the question: Is this what we can expect from policing going forward?

The Fall of Minneapolis Documentary

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the The Fall of Minneapolis, a new documentary produced by journalist Liz Collin. You can watch it in its entirety online for free.

Though I haven’t watched it yet (it’s on my list) here’s what some others are saying about it. Both of these people, from where I sit, tend to be fair-minded.

“I watched it from start to finish with an open mind … The judge in the documentary made me sick to my stomach @Michele_Tafoya the 6th amendment has was taken from those officers … that was not a trial it was a Jim Crow lynching. Two men of color and two white men where thrown to the wolves. We deserved the facts and prosecutors should of sought the truth and let the jury decide! it was a disservice to both sides ! it’s should of been called the fall of America…” —Tyrus

And about the accompanying book:

“They’re Lying •A masterpiece that @lizcollin never should have had to write. •In this book Liz surgically dismantles the lies of anti-police activists that destroyed Minneapolis and stomped on Constitutional rights in a dishonest effort to appease a violent mob. Must Read!” —Police Law News

I think a lot of us either went along with the narrative that was presented to us or remained silent out of fear.

Because of that video, police leaders across the country, including in my own city, knelt and swore that they were nothing like those Minneapolis officers. As a result, apparently terrified of being classified like “those cops,” they ordered rank-and-file to back down during the riots, allowing our cities to degrade.

In the back of my mind, I thought it odd that some of the same people who would criticize “armchair critics” for judging all police officers based on random amateur videos, were engaging in the very same behavior that they, themselves, disdained.

For this specific argument, the guilt or innocence of these cops is not so much the point as is the fact that we’re allowing our decisions to be guided by hyperbole and mob rule. It’s especially troubling when police leaders, sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution (rushing to judgment in criminal cases is antithetical to that) engage in it.

The people I want on my team stand for what’s right, including in the most difficult of times, when it isn’t easy, when they might lose favor with their base. Because once we’re willing to subvert the U.S. Constitution based on public whim, every police officer, every elected official, and yes, every citizen -regardless of their guilt or innocence- may very well find themselves subjected to the same treatment.

If we can’t do the right thing when it counts, we’re all just wasting our time.

What Are You Reading?

Given that my women’s network is sponsoring an upcoming seminar featuring Alexandra Hudson to discuss her new book, The Soul of Civility, I picked up a copy. I’m eager to dive in (just started the second chapter) because our national discourse needs a major overhaul.

Having strong views and disagreeing with each other is part of the beauty of living in a free nation. In fact, passionate exchange is what propels us forward as individuals and as a nation. It’s the hateful discourse, insult slinging, right-fighting, ego, refusal to accept the truth, and tribalism that has contributed to our toxic environment and threatened our freedom.

The drama that’s become so entwined in our culture bores the heck out of me. I’m hungry for debates where we argue ideas, and where each of us may even walk away thinking . . . . Hmmm, she has a point.

Some people may find the public fights and false bravado entertaining, while others profit from it. What it is, is toxic. We’re destroying ourselves. Literally. An article in today’s Wall Street Journal reads U.S. Suicides Reached a Record High Last Year. The article reads, in part:

“Adults are learning how to talk to children about suicide, said Dr. Katie Hurley, senior clinical adviser at the Jed Foundation, a suicide-prevention group. More work is necessary to reach women 25-34, she said. They were the only group of women for which suicide rates increased significantly in 2022. . . . “They’re taking on young adulthood while the world is on fire,” Hurley said. 

Something has got to change. While this book may not be a panacea for what ails us, it’s certainly a good start.

Remember, it’s not all bad. There is still goodness in the world. And hope. Take care of yourself and your loved ones, and work to be part of the solution.

Best, as always. : )

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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.