The “War on Cops” Myth

With the mainstream media’s newest “War on Cops” slogan you would think there was rise in police killings across the country. According to a Rasmussen poll taken last week 58% of respondents believe there is actually a war on cops. But according to Officer Down Memorial Page quite the opposite is true. Police in the line of duty deaths are down %6 and gun related deaths while on duty are down 27% so far for the year 2015. While this year is not over yet, it looks as if this “war on cops” has been on a decade long decline. In fact gun related deaths have been on the decline for each decade since the 70s. The 1970’s was the last increase in police gun related deaths since the 1930’s increase.

As you can see from the graphs above, two of the biggest spikes happened during prohibition. From 1920-1933 alcohol prohibition was in effect in this country, on July 1, 1973 Nixon’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was implemented. The “war on drugs” also became more of an effective tactic used to jail Vietnam protesters during this same time. There are a number of reasons to end prohibition, protect individual rights, reduction in the nonviolent prison population, focus on actual rehabilitation of drug addicts. But according to these statistics another reason has become apparent, and that would be a reduction of police fatalities. So anyone who supports the police, should also support the end of prohibition right? It’s no secret police officers are bribed or tempted into bootlegging themselves during prohibition, it’s a lucrative opportunity after all.

We have just recently passed a memorial day in America’s history, September 11th. And post 9/11 has increased the militarization of the police force. No knock raids puts more innocent people at risk, including children caught in crossfire, as well as police officers who are mistaken for burglars. Billions of dollars worth of grants being given to police agencies from the DHS to buy military style equipment. Along with being given a surplus of assault weapons, night vision and armored vehicles from the Department of Defense. Who is the war against again? And how can we have an honest discussion about Police accountability when the focus is constantly being shifted away from Police? And mainstream media constantly pushing out these fear mongering slogans like the “war on cops” is just a distraction for the real issues we face with police abuse in this country.

There is no war on cops, the evidence just doesn’t support it, there is however a war on you and your individual rights. It became more prevalent with the war on drugs, and escalating with the war on terror.

The “War on Cops” Myth is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights