Police officer exodus a result of 'demonization of law enforcement,' top police official says
Mass retirements, drop in recruitment have created a police staffing 'crisis,' FOP president warns
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A top U.S. law enforcement official called out the "total lack of respect" for the profession, Wednesday, resulting in a police officer staffing "crisis."
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Patrick Yoes joined "America's Newsroom" to sound the alarm on the decline and impact on rising crime.
"There is definitely a crisis," Yoes told co-host Dana Perino. "We're losing experience on a level that should be a concern to every American."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}POLICE EXODUS 'CRISIS': OFFICERS ARE DITCHING THE JOB AT A RATE 'NEVER SEEN BEFORE'
Both Democratic lawmakers and members of the media have pushed the movement to defund police. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) ((Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images))
Yoes' warning echoed remarks he made at the third annual Faith & Blue conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, when he told about 100 law enforcement officials, community leaders and reporters that officers are leaving at a rate "we've never seen before."
Earlier this week, the New York Post reported that 2,465 New York Police Department officers have submitted their papers to leave the agency so far in 2022, including 71% who did so before becoming eligible for their full pensions. The 2022 figure is a 42% jump from the 1,731 officers who left the job at the same time in 2021, the report states.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, New Jersey has seen a 90% decrease in applicants for troopers while Chicago has seen 83% less applicants, Yoes noted.
"Crime's going up," Yoes said. "That revolving door criminal justice system… it makes our jobs less safe."
More than 210 police and law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year as of July 31 – up 14% from the same time last year, according to data provided by the FOP earlier this month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deaths of officers in the line of duty jumped by 55% from 2020 to 2021, with the majority succumbing to COVID-19-related illness, according to statistics from the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund. And data released last week by the Major Cites Chiefs Association shows homicides in big cities have surged by 50% since 2019.
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Yoes called on Congress to "reverse course" and pass legislation that can give police departments "immediate relief" to address officer shortages and reduce crime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It is time to address the consequences of the demonization of law enforcement and be part of the solution to this problem," he said.
Fox News' Stephanie Pagones and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.