Post Election Results: Are Police Leaders Prepared This Time Around?

Plus a new federal bill aimed at protecting women

Like every other person in the country, the election has me on edge. Ten days feels like an eternity at this point. Rest assured: This post isn’t about who I believe is the better candidate. With so much tension in the room and a gazillion other places to have these conversations (more like screaming matches), I’ll pass.

What I’d like to focus on is the aftermath of the election. Like other Americans, I’m wondering: How badly will our cities devolve into chaos?

During the 2020 riots, which you likely recall, police command across the country ordered rank-and-file officers to stand down. In some jurisdictions, those who were arrested, saw their charges dropped. Some in police leadership kneeled and self-hating cops disallowed the blue line flag.

As a result of the weakness displayed by leaders in 2020 and during other upheavals that have since ensued, chaos makers have learned that there are few-to-no repercussions for breaking the law. Unless something has changed that I’m not aware of, what’s to stop them the next time they don’t like the outcome?

This time around, we also have far fewer police officers on the job than we had four years ago. Here’s just one recent headline describing the staffing situation of a major city.

Chicago Police Department exodus: New cops are leaving in droves, Sun-Times investigation finds - One of every six Chicago cops hired since 2016 is no longer on the payroll. About 950 of the more than 5,750 people hired in that period have left. Their average time with the department? Not even three years. Many moved to suburban police departments.

This is not an outlier.

Cops also recall what happened when they did enforce the law. In Austin, Texas, for example, 19 officers were criminally charged for deploying bean bags to quell rowdy crowds that unintentionally harmed demonstrators. Mind you, these demonstrators were reportedly throwing things like Molotov cocktails, frozen water bottles, and bottles of gasoline at police, and obstructing roads that lead to a hospital.

What do you suppose police should have done in these cases? (And note that this same district attorney’s office rejected felony cases of civilian offenders at a rate 735% higher from the same period in 2020.)

I’m worried about our police officers -especially those saddled with weak police leadership- already exhausted, understaffed, and fearing reprisal for doing their jobs in good faith. And I’m worried about the rest of us, who have to watch as our city centers are yet once again defaced.

Of course, this doesn’t have to be the outcome. Not if the majority of police leaders decide to stand tall this time and back their officers; and if prosecutors and judges hold those accountable who dare to break the law.

Whether or not cities devolve into chaos after the election, we shouldn’t have to live on the edge of our seats, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

What are your thoughts on what will happen after the election results have been announced?

Women should be able to travel freely wherever we want without worrying about being assaulted because of broken public policies

A Federal Bill That Protects Women

For all their talk about protecting women, you’d think that every single member of Congress would have supported the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (H.R. 7909). It’s a bill introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01) that expands the terms for deportation and inadmissibility of illegal aliens who have committed sex and domestic violence offenses.

While the bill thankfully passed the House in September with 266 votes (and is now in the Senate for consideration), there were 158 Nay votes.

You can find out how your own Congressperson voted on H.R. 7909 here.

It’s true that the Immigration and Nationality Act already contains language allowing immigrants who’ve committed sex-related crimes to be deported or inadmissible. That law also allows for loopholes, however. For example, current law doesn’t contain rules regarding aliens who have committed certain offenses, like stalking, violating a protective order, and such.

After speaking with Rep. Mace’s staff and studying the documentation in this bill, I’ve confirmed that H.R. 7909 explicitly lays out terms for both deportation and inadmissibility. It uses definitions in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and Violence Against Women Act as its basis.

Last month, we learned that ICE reported to Congress that there are more than 15,811 illegal immigrants at large in our country with sexual assault convictions. This bill can help stave off some of this violence.

If our elected officials truly care about women, they’d work to ensure we’re kept safe. Yet it seems to be a low priority for them.

Parting Thoughts

Who we elect will have a definitive impact on public safety and other areas of our lives. Regardless of who wins, however, I believe we still have an arduous road ahead.

Logistically speaking, a lot of things would have to happen before police departments are again adequately staffed. Officers and police applicants would first need to be certain that the benefits of policing outweigh the risks. It would then take at least two years from the beginning of the hiring process for them to being fully trained.

That’s for starters. We also have other problems that run deeper than logistics and politics, and those will be even more difficult to solve.

We’re a spiritually broken nation bordering on paganism. The nuclear family is becoming obsolete. Patriotism is evaporating.

The results have been disastrous. Mental illness has become epidemic, suicides and suicide attempts (especially in younger people) have surged. Volunteering and a desire to serve others has decreased. Labor force participation among men has been reduced in recent decades and boys are doing academically worse than girls. A portion of students can’t even read at grade level.

In a recent discussion, Gianno Caldwell said this:

"We're talking about a group of young people scattered all over the city (of Chicago) committing these crimes, knowing that nothing's going to happen to them because Mayor (Brandon) Johnson has treated them with kid gloves.

"This has led to a deterioration across the city of Chicago. People are in fear to go to school. Just imagine that. Just imagine being one of those young people who actually want to get an education . . . and you want to have a better life for your family . . . but you are also in fear of a bullet coming through the bus window as you travel to school."

Politics is an important part of the equation, but until we fix these other, more deeply-ingrained problems, it’s difficult to see how we thrive as a nation.

Though this isn’t a religious blog, I will tell you that my life is better when God is in it. I believe that embracing faith is one of the key values that will help us claw our way out of this mess.

As always, I love to know what you’re thinking. Best. : )

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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.