(Originally published in NewsMax.)
Who would want to be a police officer in New York City?
While that role has never been easy, judging by the numbers, not too many people — especially now.
Not only is the NYPD having to answer more calls with fewer people, few people in both the city government and residents seem to support them.
It’s gotten so bad that according to the New York Post, “City cops are getting beaten at a record-setting pace — a disturbing and dangerous trend fueled by radical protests, an influx of criminal migrants, bail reform, anti-cop rhetoric and soft-on-crime prosecutors.”
Data shows that 4,724 uniformed officers were hurt by suspects in 2022 compared to 3,933 the year before. That’s a 20.1 percent increase in physical injury, substantial injury, and serious physical injury, which are the categories of data collected.
If that wasn’t bad enough, in the first nine months of 2023, 4,077 NYPD officers were hurt by suspects.
The last quarter’s numbers have not been released yet, but if the trend continues, the final number may be 5,436.
Not only would that be an all-time high it would be a 15% increase over 2022.
Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Hendry believes that the 5,436 estimate is close to the actual. He told The Post. “Well over 5,000 cops were attacked and injured last year – that’s not only a record, it’s a full-blown epidemic.”
Again . . . Who would want to be in law enforcement in New York City?
The police officers are risking their lives every day to protect residents and government officials, neither of whom appreciate the risk.
The vicious attacks on police officers we’ve seen recently didn’t come out of nowhere,” Hendry said. “This dangerous environment has been building for years. . . It’s not going to get better until those who attack police officers are consistently prosecuted and kept in jail. And that won’t happen unless New Yorkers keep speaking up to demand an end to the chaos.”
And what will 2024 be like?
On Jan. 17, a woman deliberately hit a NYPD officer at a crime scene with her car. “I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose,” the woman said.
Also in January, a machete-wielding man slashed a police sergeant across the head and sent two other officers to the hospital.
This month, a group of illegal immigrants attacked two police officers in Times Square.
Only one suspected was jailed.
Five were released without bail, and apparently, many of them have fled to California.
This increased violence comes at a time when police officers find themselves overly cautious about what actions they take.
“We have witnessed the NYPD become emasculated,” NYPD Lt. John Macari told the Post. “Now we have cops on the street who are afraid to act. . . They’re more afraid of the professional and legal ramifications of taking police action than the fear for their own lives.”
Part of the problem is also that people know that there are little to no consequences for committing crimes or attacking police in the city.
The district attorney has a soft-on-crime reputation, the city council is anti-police.
That sends an unequivocal message to criminals and angry citizens they can do whatever they want.
Consider this, people who are unafraid to attack armed police officers will be more than willing to turn their wrath on unarmed citizens.
When citizens start crying for help, who will they look to for that help?
The police.
There are fewer and fewer in Gotham.
They’ve had enough of being the scapegoat for criminals and less-than-mediocre politicians and public officials.
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.
