LAPD officers almost blinded by lasers.
Two LASD deputies shot.
Two Louisville police officers shot.
One of our own assaulted in the Harbor Police Station.
Make no mistake about it, the attacks on law enforcement are real and are getting more frequent. Some of these attacks are being partially fueled by those in political and appointed leadership positions who refuse to strongly condemn these attacks or call for the swift apprehension and strong prosecution of those who now feel it is OK to kill, attempt to kill or hurt police officers. It’s sickening.
These political chameleons speak out of both sides of their mouths. They send “thoughts and prayers” in their social media posts but then follow it up with excuse after excuse as to why people should feel angry and how they understand the people’s frustration. As if this anti-community, anti-police violence can be rationalized. They feel emboldened by groups marching and chanting, so they turn a blind eye to the destruction, looting, arson and assaults perpetrated by many of these so called “protesters.” They choose to look the other way and this enables the lawbreakers.
Too many politicians and their political appointees believe that the political winds are blowing in a direction that makes it OK to target police officers. They wake up each day, walk outside, wet a finger in their mouths and stick it up in the air to see which way the political winds are blowing that day. It’s pathetic, and the League will continue to call them out and tell Angelenos about their deceitful and destructive words and behavior.
Whether it’s exposing Flip-Flopin’ Bonin for promising more police when he was in electoral crisis and taking to social media to invite the mayhem that has enveloped Portland. Or Council President Nury Martinez demonizing our officers and the LAPD as she grabbed $150 million from our budget. Or the despicable actions of Lynwood City Manager Jose Ometeotl who posted the Malcolm X quote “Chickens come home to roost” following the ambush shooting of two LASD deputies who were simply sitting in their patrol car. The League will not let these public officials attack our profession and try to hoodwink the public.
This also includes pushing our own Command Staff to come out from under the thumb being pushed down on them from City Hall and tell it the way it is. They are cops. They were on the streets. They know that when we feel that our city leadership does not have our back, it debilitates morale. As we all have been told in the past, we need our police leadership to find their command voices and be heard defending our rank and file.
Political correctness and the pathetic game of one-upmanship being played by politicians trying to cater to a mob intent on destruction instead of dialogue is putting our safety at risk. This pandering prevents rock- and bottle-throwing thugs from being called criminals, window-smashers and those starting fires from being called rioters and arsonists, and those grabbing anything from a store and running off with it from being called looters. Political correctness prevents those in power from telling the criminal enablers that run anti-police organizations to stop blaming the LAPD for every ill in society and to take a look in the mirror.
When anyone believes it is just a normal day in the neighborhood to waltz into the Harbor Police Station and attack an officer, we have serious problems. Anyone who shrugs their shoulders at that behavior is not seeing the deep hole ripped in the fabric of our society.
The League is going to keep the pressure on our so-called “leaders” and ensure the public knows every time they’re being sold out so some politician can gain a contributor, pat themselves on the back or appease a mob.
In the meantime, please stay safe and watch out for each other.
Click the image below to listen to LAPPL President Craig Lally discuss the reprehensible violence happening at “protests.”
