Anti-police sentiment is up in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and it’s being encouraged by liberal leaders nationwide.
Calls for the insane policy of “defunding the police” were shouted by leftist activists, and NYC’s Bill de Blasio took note, pushing for a billion dollar in cuts to the NYPD despite the fact that his city’s police department has no connection whatsoever to the death of Floyd. De Blasio has sent the message to police that they’re not wanted – and they’re responding accordingly.
According to the Washington Examiner:
New York City Police Department officers are retiring at a pace the department can’t keep up with, forcing filing limits to be implemented.
The number of police officers filing retirement papers has surged in the weeks following the death of George Floyd on May 25 and has quadrupled in the past week. The surge has caused a bottleneck, prompting some to delay filing, according to the New York Post.
A total of 503 officers have reportedly filed for retirement between the day Floyd died and last Friday, a 75% increase from this time last year. The amount of filings in the last week represents a 411% increase from last year, which has forced the department to limit filings.
Only roughly 35-40 officers are being given appointments per day to try to retire.
Tragically, this will contribute to a feared shortage of police officers. And that’s a shortage that African-Americans fear the most, contrary to whatever narrative the media is pushing. According to a recent poll from Rasmussen Reports:
- Most Americans value the role of the police and worry that increasing criticism of cops will make their communities less safe. Black Americans are the most concerned.
- Sixty-three percent (63%) of American Adults still regard being a police officer as one of the most important jobs in our country today, down only slightly from 68% three years ago. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree, up from 19% in the earlier survey.
- Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. Sixty-four percent (64%) of all Americans are concerned that the growing criticism of America’s police will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduce public safety in the community where they live. That includes 39% who are Very Concerned. But 33% don’t share that concern, with 14% who are Not At All Concerned about the risk to public safety.
- Blacks (67%) are the most concerned about public safety where they live, compared to 63% of whites and 65% of other minority Americans.
This is in line with prior polling which found the American public overwhelmingly opposed to the “defund the police” movement. So absurd is the movement that even most Democrat voters disagree with it – though the politicians they keep electing don’t seem to care.
