You Mean Law Enforcement Is the Answer?
/You Mean Law Enforcement Is the Answer?
By: Lance J. LoRusso, Esq.
I recently completed four interviews on national news sources in fourteen hours prompted, as usual, by the poking of a hornet’s nest. In this case, it was the deployment of National Guard members to New York City. I answered their questions, took an opportunity to educate, as always, and expressed the same thoughts I have had and voiced hundreds of times: Law enforcement is not the problem.
Societal problems are truly unique. Developing solutions is free, everyone has an opinion. A glaring lack of experience or knowledge does not impair your ability to grab headlines, and the more outlandish your theory, the more press it will get. Consider the “defund the police movement” which I have described as the fastest conceived, implemented and failed social policy in United States history. Perhaps it is wisdom disguised as old age, experience leading to patience, or an ability to float at the 10,000-foot view to gain a different perspective, but with all the nonsense I see on a regular basis, I remain optimistic about law enforcement in the United States.
Optimistic? Does he have a bottle of tequila next to his laptop? No, but what I do have is the perspective of a lawyer who has represented approximately 180 officers in shootings and critical incidents. I also bring the insight of a trainer with thirty years of experience watching amazing candidates increase their skills through dedication and perseverance. Finally, I witness every day the dedication of the men and women in law enforcement who still show up, do the job and put their lives at risk for strangers.
The National Guard stories allowed me to highlight some interesting points. Although the defund movement relies upon a premise that the presence of a uniformed law enforcement officer will deter crime, the National Guard is being brought in as a uniform presence - to deter crime. In a world where activists scream and holler about the militarization of law enforcement and work to remove armored personnel carriers from SWAT teams and prevent officers from wearing outer vest carriers because they look too much like the military, the same activists are supporting the use of actual National Guard soldiers in civilian environments. In a city where activists complained about stop and frisk, those same activists are supporting the use of uniformed soldiers to search every bag, purse and backpack in the name of safety. The reason? Their failed social policies have made their communities more dangerous, in many cases uninhabitable, and they recognize “something” needs to be done. The infamous “something” often to be done by “somebody” in a place known as “somewhere.”
Rather than getting angry about these hypocritical stances making headlines, find comfort in the fact that the public knows that law enforcement is not the problem. Some of you may ask, why don’t they just bring law enforcement officers back, refund police departments and increase the presence of uniformed officers to deter crime? That answer is simple: That would require the activists to admit they were wrong. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. They own one tool, and it is a shovel.
Like you, I hate watching a steady flow of headlines bashing law enforcement. However, I can tell you without hesitation the public overwhelmingly supports law enforcement. What you are seeing right now is a struggle between the easy side of the equation - namely blaming law enforcement for every societal ill – versus the most difficult side of the equation - actually doing something to fix the problems that cause and perpetuate criminality and victimization.
Holding people accountable when they commit crimes is not only a good idea, it’s a basic obligation of government. When elected officials fail to do so, they should be held accountable. Many have asked me what standard we should use to hold those public officials accountable. Let’s use the same high ethical standards to which we hold law enforcement, and the public has the ability to do so. Reach out to your friends, family, neighbors, people with whom you attend church, little league games and other events. Encourage them to speak loudly to support law enforcement, and pay attention when they thank you for your service. It is heartfelt, reflecting a mixture of gratitude and fear - that one day your beat will be empty, your patrol car will sit idle, and the politicians condemning you will be nowhere to be found.
Stay safe.
Lance LoRusso, Esq, is national thought leader and expert on use of force. As a litigator with a law enforcement background, Lance focuses his practice on cases involving first responders, responds to critical incidents and shootings, and handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of injured first responders & their loved ones. Lance serves as General Counsel to the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and was named 2021 Attorney of the Year by the National Fraternal Order of Police. Lance is an author of educational books for first responders as well as fiction books inspired by his experiences as a first responder and representing them during some of the most trying times of their lives. His print & audio books are available on lancelorussobooks.com. Lance founded the Blue Line Lawyer Institute – a think tank for LEOs and their lawyers – that hosts the annual Force Forum training conference. For more information, visit lorussolawfirm.com or bluelinelawyer.com to sign up for his newsletter and learn more about the upcoming Force Forum May 19-22, 2024 on Jekyll Island, Georgia.
