For decades, if not centuries, law enforcement has been seen as a proud and honorable career. It was something men and women from everywhere wanted to be or be a part of.
Its why children play cops and robbers, why badges and police uniforms top Halloween costume lists year after year, and why crime drama has ruled the television since color became available on TV.
But that’s all starting to change.
As the progressive left is canceling law enforcement as a whole, the dream job for many has now become something they can’t wait to get out of.
Unsurprisingly, this is happening the most in America’s larger cities, and ones ran by Democratic hands.
Take Chicago, for instance.
Here in the Windy City, it was recently reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that police officers are leaving the industry in record numbers.
“Michael Lappe, vice president of the board of trustees for the Policeman’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago, said 59 police officers are retiring in August, with another 51 retirements set for next month.”
And according to Lappe, “That’s unheard of. We’re seeing double the average number of retirees each month. The average is about 24 a month.”
As the Chicago Sun-Times noted, 335 police officers have retired from the department up until the end of July, which is nearly as many as retired during the entire year of 2018. According to pension records, 339 retired in 2018, and 475 retired in 2019.
And in San Francisco, the numbers are much the same.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle and police records, 23 sworn officers have resigned during the first six months of this year. “By comparison, 26 officers resigned in all of 2019. And only 12 officers resigned in 2018.”
Now, let’s go back east to New York City.
Here it is being recorded that there has been an increase of over 400% in the number of officers retiring. In fact, the city, in its rush to stay in control of the situation, has had to put limits on how many officers are allowed to retire per day.
And in Minneapolis, where all this started, the Washington Post has noted a total of 150 officers filed for retirement due to PTSD in the month of July alone. The Star Tribune pointed out that at the current rate of people leaving the department, Minneapolis will have cut their numbers by an entire third by the end of the year.
And in all of these cities, police officials blame the obvious – Democratic leadership.
John Catanzara, president of the Chicago police union, says, “Who wants to stay in this environment? If you have the ability to leave, there is no incentive to stay anymore. The mayor doesn’t back us. If you have the financial ability to do so, I don’t blame a single soul for leaving.”
Former chairman of the city council’s police committee Anthony Beale says he can’t even walk into headquarters without being accosted by a swarm of officers who say they are leaving. “From the time I walked into police headquarters to the time I left, which was about 35 minutes, there were nine or 10 officers who approached me and said they were leaving. Every person who walked past me said, ‘Hey, Beale, I’m out of here.’”
In San Francisco, people aren’t just retiring; they are resigning. And as the records are beginning to show, they aren’t necessarily leaving law enforcement entirely. Instead, they are just taking their skills somewhere where they will be appreciated and not stomped on.
President of the Police Officers Association there, Tony Montoya, says, “This is just the beginning. Dozens are actively in the hiring process with other agencies. The members are upset that the social experiment being conducted in San Francisco is failing and they would rather work someplace that values them.”
He noted that of the 23 who have resigned most recently, 19 are going to other law enforcement agencies, some even outside of the state. One of those leaving for greener pastures elsewhere said that it’s just “nice working at a place where everyone isn’t mad at you. In San Francisco, everyone was mad.”
Now, it’s important to note that as these swarms of officers are leaving the job, crime and violence are also rising, making the duties of the remaining officers even more taxing. If Democrat leaders in these cities don’t change something and fast, they are soon to find out what not having a police force will really look like.
And I’m betting they won’t like it.
