Being pro-police reform and pro-public safety are not mutually exclusive

Violent crime continues to plague the majority of urban cities across our country, and as the violence increases, so has the danger officers face every day.

Gun violence continues to devastate our communities, and countless victims are left without recourse as the failures of our criminal justice system are exposed. The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) has collected violent crime data since 2015 and in the most recent survey of the Association’s 70 U.S.-based member agencies, homicides in 2021 increased roughly 6% and aggravated assaults rose 3% compared to 2020.

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While those increases may seem small, they are anything but. By comparison, the violent crime statistics show how serious the problem is. From 2019 to 2021, homicides were up approximately 49% and aggravated assaults increased 21%. That translates to more mothers losing babies, more children without parents, and more devastated communities. My fellow police chiefs and I ask, where is the sanctity of life?

The increase in violence directed at law enforcement has set new records. The FBI has documented a nearly 60% increase in officers killed in 2021, the highest total recorded in a decade. In my hometown of Phoenix, nine of my officers were hurt, including five shot in an ambush attack while trying to rescue a mom and baby during a domestic disturbance. In December, Phoenix Police Officer Tyler Moldovan was giving commands to a suspect who then pulled a gun and shot Officer Moldovan multiple times, leaving him critically injured.

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I am fortunate and thankful that my officers were not killed. Many of my colleagues cannot say the same. Again, we ask, where is the sanctity of life?

Support for the law enforcement profession has never been more vital. The attacks on law enforcement must stop.

January 2022 to present, MCCA member agencies have lost the following officers in the line of duty:
            Police Officer II Fernando Arroyos – Los Angeles Police Department
            Police Officer Corille Cortez Jones – Memphis Police Department
            Detective Jason Rivera – New York City Police Department
            Detective Wilbert Mora – New York City Police Department

Our officers are frustrated and exhausted by the current state of affairs. Anti-police rhetoric coupled with failures of the criminal justice system to hold chronic and violent offenders accountable have been detrimental to morale. Support for the law enforcement profession has never been more vital. The attacks on law enforcement must stop.

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Over the past two years, there has been a nationwide call for police reform. The MCCA has been a leader in this policy debate and a strong advocate for modernization. Every day, MCCA members work to implement professional law enforcement practices that are fair, equitable, transparent, and procedurally just. Being pro-reform and pro-public safety are not mutually exclusive; we can have high standards and constitutional policing as well as unwavering support for the profession. We can prioritize the sanctity of life for all.

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The Major Cities Chiefs Association and its members stand ready and willing to work with elected officials, community members, and other stakeholders to take action to drive down violent crime, support our officers and prioritize the sanctity of life for all.
 

Jeri L. Williams is president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and chief of police for the Phoenix Police Department.