A Federal Bill That Can Help Mitigate the Damage to Policing and Public Safety
The public is feeling the effects of a nationwide police staffing crisis. Crime has spiked across the country in several major crime categories. Police officers have largely retreated from proactive policing, a tool that has been demonstrated to prevent crime. Crimes are going unsolved, leaving victims without justice.
Wait times for service calls have gotten longer, and not just for fender benders and nuisance calls. The Chicago Police Department, for example, was unable to respond to 52% of high-priority service calls as recently as 2021, data journalists found. The Department’s staffing woes have only worsened since this report was issued.
Small and mid-sized cities aren’t faring much better. Public records show that police departments in cities like New Orleans, Nashville, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, and Boise are experiencing staffing crunches and taking longer for police to respond to calls.
Given the urgency of our public safety situation, you’d think there would be a clarion call from
legislators to craft meaningful solutions. Overall, the response has been underwhelming.
Democratic proposals center on generating federal grants to attract and train new police recruits. Money isn’t at the heart of this staffing crisis, though. Overt hostility displayed by members of the public and select units of government, zealous prosecutions of police officers, failure to prosecute attacks on police, and attempts to eliminate qualified immunity are some of the primary factors compelling police officers to leave the profession en masse.
Though Republicans have been slow to introduce meaningful solutions, there have been some glimmers of hope. The Florida legislature, for example, passed a sweeping anti-crime, pro-police bill in 2021, propelling it as a model law-and-order state.
One encouraging bill for consideration in the U.S. House is the Protect & Serve Act (H.R. 743), introduced by Rep. John Rutherford earlier this year. It would create a new federal crime category and minimal sentencing requirements for knowingly assaulting a police officer. At a time when attacks on law enforcement have increased, this bill fills a critical need.
With a current roster of 90 co-sponsors in the House and bipartisan support, the Protect & Serve Act is gaining the most momentum of all the bills in this category – and it has the most realistic chance of passing.
This bill isn’t a panacea, and it will take more than a signature to reverse all the damage that’s been done to policing. It does, however, send an unequivocal message that attacks on officers of the law won’t be tolerated. When police officers are safe and supported, they’re in a better position to keep us free from harm and to protect our civil liberties.
Members of Congress need to hear from all of us who care about public safety, police officers, and the rule of law. It’s why I ask that you please consider urging your congressperson to co-sponsor the Protect & Serve Act. If you’re short on time, the Fraternal Order of Police has provided a convenient automated form, open for all to sign.
Paula Fitzsimmons is an investing IWN member based in Wisconsin. She’s founder of For the Blue, a platform advocating for rank-and-file officers. Paula also serves as legislative director for the National Police Association.
