Police union pushes for cop killings to be included in federal hate crimes law
Source: Yahoo News
In the wake of the murder of two New York City police officers and a national debate about policing, the National Fraternal Order of Police is asking for the Congressional hate crimes statute to be expanded to include crimes against police officers. The union has more than 300,000 members.
Violence against police officers that is motivated by anti-police bias should be prosecuted as a hate crime, the nations largest police union is arguing in a letter to President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders this week.
Right now, its a hate crime if you attack someone solely because of the color of their skin, but it ought to be a hate crime if you attack someone solely because of the color of their uniform as well, said Jim Pasco, the executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police.
Enough is enough! Its time for Congress to do something to protect the men and women who protect us, Chuck Canterbury, the president of the union, said in a statement Monday. The group has long lobbied for harsher punishment for those who harm law enforcement officers.
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/police-union-pushes-for-cops-to-be-included-in-federal-hate-crimes-law-183729328.html
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Cop killers and Killer cops.
petronius
(26,603 posts)severely than if committed by non-LEOs; there ought to be a sentencing enhancement for cops across the board.
The way I see it is this: if murdering or attacking a police officer is considered especially heinous because it's an attack on both an individual as well as on one of the foundations of our society (law and order), isn't malfeasance by a police officer--one of the persons specifically entrusted to uphold that foundation--an even more egregious attack on society as a whole (in addition to whatever the specific crime was)?
WhiteTara
(29,722 posts)then my eyes straightened and of course, they want something out of turning their backs on the mayor.
christx30
(6,241 posts)You want to make it even more illegal to kill a cop?
ToxMarz
(2,169 posts)Most jurisdictions have far more severe charges and penalties for any violence against police, and other public servants. That's what hate crime laws do but for recognized persecuted classes of people. Police are public servants (who do have dangerous jobs), not their own class of people,
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)At least it is not in the top 10.
In fact, the murder rate for police is up to 33% lower than that of the rest of America.
http://fee.org/blog/detail/by-the-numbers-how-dangerous-is-it-to-be-a-cop
I agree with the rest of what you said.
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)to report such deaths and details of them to the Department of Justice.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article4704231.html
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)That is fucking insane.
easychoice
(1,043 posts)we could discuss it.
What about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects cops,military and federal employees?Not enough law?
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)1step
(380 posts)Somewhere, George Orwell is laughing sardonically.
branford
(4,462 posts)Killing or assaulting a police officer is already usually a more severe crime than "basic" murder and assault or grounds for sentence enhancement, including the death penalty in many jurisdictions. Any changes to the relevant hate crimes laws would not only be redundant and actually provide for lesser sentences that currently exist, but would detract from how hate crime statutes normally only cover commonly recognized circumstances recognized by equal protection jurisprudence.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)someone else. There are already laws to that effect.
mb999
(89 posts)it seems they have a license to kill for any reason and they want to keep it that way. the police should be held to a higher standard than the general public. we trust them, and pay them through taxation to do a job for the benefit of the public. They serve us, not the other way around.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)which make the killing of a law enforcement officer a crime eligible for capital punishment aren't strong enough, and they want to make this a hate crime, then repeal the capital punishment provisions first, and then make it a hate crime, if that's what people decide.
But as it is, some amongst them are acting like organized crime, taking payment and then NOT doing even the most BASIC parts of their jobs. Undermines my sympathy for their complaints, sorry.