(Originally published in NewsMax.)
Turning away help in time of need is the latest poorly-crafted, unfounded political ideal coming from the left. This as the U.S. now finds itself stressed over violent crime.
Sexual assault is something that is all too common in the U.S., affecting 81% of women and 43% of men in their lifetimes.
The latest stats from the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) show that every 68 seconds in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
Every nine minutes, that victim is a child.
Rape is already the most under-reported crime today with 63% of sexual assaults going unreported. But now the issue has gone political, finding itself front and center from the latest insult — the defund the police “initiative,” “movement,” or whatever you may wish to call it. The results in any case are unmitigated disaster.
This national spotlight is the last thing a victim needs, but that aside, how does a reduction in police forces help solve crimes and provide reassurance and justice to victims?
Democrats would never have you believe it, but police are actively working toward sexual assault prevention and it’s working, which is why RAINN says sexual violence has fallen by half in the last two decades.
The truth is that police are heavily and intricately trained in how to prevent, address, and criminalize sexual assault. It’s hard to find a police department that does not share some sort of detail on how to handle and report these types of crimes.
To expand its reach, law enforcement also pairs with local schools, churches, and organizations to try to quiet the misconceptions about police and create a welcoming embrace instead.
Yes, there are the typical government programs, but police departments are going above and beyond, placing a pronounced focus on universities and colleges where sexual assaults can run rampant.
Approximately 13% of all students experience a sexual assault, with college students more likely to be affected by sexual assault than other groups.
Responsively, law enforcement adds a special concentration on students and universities; there collaborative programs run strong.
Of course, defunding the police has more than appreciably dented law enforcment.
With a general distrust and cuts to department budgets, police are hard-pressed to do their jobs. At the end of the day, it’s the victims who are hurt by what amounts to blatant politics.
The national debate may rage, but victims are only encouraged to suffer in silence, to hold their trauma like a stake through the heart with each passing day.
No, many victims are not helpless, but — they are limited by the letter of the law, a law that provides special provisions to our officers in blue.
America has a serious sexual assault problem, but it’s not because of the police.
It’s a reflection of the debasement of society overall. Taking much needed funding and resources away from those who serve and protect us daily will do nothing but endanger communities, victims, and officers —even further than they already are.
Michael Letts is the Founder and CEO of In-Vest USA, a national grassroots nonprofit organization helping to re-fund police by contributing thousands of bulletproof vests for police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Read More Michael Letts reports — Here.
