Guest Post by Carey Wedler
(ANTIMEDIA) Throughout the United States, Americans believe there is a “war on police.” A recent survey found 58% of Americans agree with this sentiment. A new, privately-funded billboard campaign hijacks the “Black Lives Matter” moniker to read “Blue Lives Matter,” highlighting powerful pushback from law enforcement sympathizers against activists.
The FBI’s 2014 report, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA), released this week, appears to support the notion that police officers are in danger and unduly targeted. The number of officers killed by individuals committing “felonious acts” jumped from 27 in 2013 to 51 last year, and police apologists are all but guaranteed to point to this increase as proof their concerns are justified. A deeper examination of the data, however, reveals that police are not only safe, but still running rampant in their liberal use of violence against the citizens they allegedly serve.
In 2013, the FBI reported that 27 police officers were killed in the line of duty. By 2014, according to the new data, that number rose to 51. While this seems like a sharp uptick — in fact, it nearly doubled — the comparison on its own is misleading. Out of 536,119 officers included in the FBI’s 2014 analysis, .0095 percent of the force was killed on the job — less than one percent. While this represents an increase from the .005 percent of officers killed on the job in 2013 — the safest year for police in decades — neither figure signals an unrelenting assault on police officers.
As the Washington Post explained:
“[W]hen police advocates say that 2014 saw an 80+ percent increase in homicides of cops over 2013, remember a few things: First, 2013 wasn’t just an all-time low, it was an all-time low by a significant margin. Second, the 2013 figure was so low that even a small increase will look large when expressed as a percentage. Third, the figure for the following year, 2014, (51 officers killed) was essentially consistent with the average for the previous five years (50 killed), and still lower than any five-year average going back to 1960. Fourth, again, 2015 is on pace (35 killings) to be lower than any year but 2013.”
The nature of the officers’ deaths also provides insight into the “war on police”. Though the total number of officers murdered did increase from 27 to 51 from 2013 to 2014, the two biggest jumps came when officers were responding to disturbance calls or making traffic stops. In 2013, the number of officers killed during disturbance calls jumped from four to eleven, while traffic stop deaths increased from two to nine. In contrast, the number of ambushes on police officers — premeditated actions intended to hurt the officers — only increased by two, from five to seven. While this is nothing to celebrate, it actually constitutes a drop in the proportion of officers killed by ambush — the most intentional way to kill, or ‘wage war against’ — a cop. In 2013, 18.5% of all felonious deaths were a result of an ambush . In 2014, 13.7% of cops who died were ambushed.
Perhaps most revealing, however, is the FBI’s data on officers “assaulted” on the job. The FBI lists a startling figure for 2014:
Of 536,119 officers included in the report, 48,315 were assaulted. With 9% of all officers having been “assaulted,” on the job, it seems impossible to deny a concerted attack against law enforcement. However, that rate is lower than the previous year (9.3%). Further, the data becomes much less daunting when considering officers who were assaulted and injured as a result of the attack. In 2014, 13,654 officers reported sustained injuries from assault: just 2.5% of the entire force. This is also a small drop from the previous year, which saw 14,565 of 533,895 total officers injured (2.7%). This is an injury rate lower than that of construction workers, who clock in at 3.8%. Further, these figures do not take into account instances where officers claimed they were assaulted but in reality were not. There seems to be great potential for this discrepancy, especially since the FBI notes that “assailants used personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in 79.9 percent of the incidents.”
Interestingly, in both cases of assault and murder, the majority of assailants were white. In 2014, of 54 perpetrators, 42 were Caucasian while only 12 were African American. Two were Native American, one was Asian/Pacific Islander, and two were unknown. In 2013, 15 of 28 alleged killers were white — more than half. The government’s own data on attackers refutes another common, media driven falsehood: that rabid Black Lives Matter activists are spurring attacks against police.
Regardless of the facts the FBI itself released this week, one overarching factor should be cause enough to silence those who lament a war on police: every single year, the FBI constructs its meticulous LEOKA report from thousands of police departments around the country, crafting dozens of charts and tables to break down and detail the manner in which officers died (full report here). There is currently no such system in place for regular civilians killed by police, though one community database places the total at 1,108 for 2014.
In spite this dearth of information on who the government kills, the federal government only took action this month to attempt to record police shootings and deaths caused by officers — even though this problem has crippled communities, especially minority for years, if not decades. In contrast, despite the ongoing, intensive reporting by the FBI on police deaths, President Obama signed the “Blue Alert” law earlier this year to provide for even further calculation and analysis of threats and assaults to law enforcement. There is still no official total on the number of civilians killed by police.
While many outlets in the media propagate the narrative that police officers are under attack, the government’s own data speaks for itself. Though loud voices may decry police accountability activists and millions of Americans concerned about police overreach, the FBI’s report only further justifies their outrage.
The old statistics tricks – cherry picking on start dates is the most common; IPCC uses this also. Another is selection of the data. I wouldn’t believe anything unless I performed my own due diligence.
“Of 536,119 officers included in the report, 48,315 were assaulted.” ——– article
I’m calling bullshit.
That’s about as believable as all those victims killed because they “resisted arrest”. In fact, I would be every time a copfuk files a report which includes “resisting arrest”, that they count that as an assault.
Whenever a copfuk is shot the MSM whores cover it day and night. Then they show the funeral and the crying widow. That’s probably a big reason why the dumsheep believe there’s a war on copfuks.
Nevertheless, the number of copfuks killed has increased from 27 to 51. That’s still a low number. But, it’s a good start.
Stuck, if one cop shoves you into a second cop, it is considered an “assault.”
My uncle was a cop and I worked for a husband/wife – a statie and a deputy – whom owned a small business back in the early ’90s.
The ways these stats are intentionally misstated is disgusting.
Vehicle accident happens, neither driver drinking, empty, weathered beer bottle in the ditch, goes down as “alcohol related accident.”
Old diabetic suffers a heart attack in his home with his insulin needles on the table? “Drug related.”
The lies and intentional distortions are so much worse than we even know. And that is only for the few, very few, of us that actually pay attention to such things.
Stucky says “… but its a good start.”
Have i ever told you i like the cut of your jib
“Assaulted” Oh yeah, anytime a citizen does not do exactly as they are told, the cops claim they were “assaulted” -after they had beat the living shit out of the citizen. It is more dangerous to be a garbage collector or a roofer than to be a policeman. let’s keep this thing inperspective,
Harry , you have become so cynical ,so jaded , so pessimistic , so pussiefied through the constant bombardment of lies , counterfeits and half truths you maybe suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome of which you are not aware…. I usually charge 50 bucks for this kind of information but I’m glad to help you for free because I like you.
There is much angst and consternation against prosecutors and grand juries who refuse to bring charges against police officers, even when incontrovertible evidence is presented. Even with incontrovertible audio and video evidence, prosecutors are loath to prosecute rogue law enforcement personnel.
Let’s examine the reasons why it is so difficult to prosecute thug cops:
Most prosecutors are former police officers or have extensive dealings with police departments and have ongoing relationships with police departments in their respective jurisdictions. They are friendly with the judges in their jurisdictions, as well. This, along with “absolute immunity” makes it easy for them to “cover up” police abuses and behavior. Prosecutors cannot be sued for malfeasance…it takes a judge (who prosecutors are friendly with) to bring charges on a rogue prosecutor (which almost never happens).
In addition, prosecutors guide the actions of grand juries. Prosecutors are not required to introduce any evidence to grand juries, (can and do) easily “whitewash” the actions of rogue cops. On the other hand, prosecutors can (and often do) go after honest citizens who seek justice outside official channels…prosecutors have ultimate power and are not afraid to use it…their immunity sees to that.
Another aspect to a grand jury’s inability to prosecute bad cops is the fear of retribution…cops drive around all day, have nothing but time, have access to various databases, and can easily get the names and addresses of grand jurors…this, in itself can be a powerful deterrent against grand jurors who “want to do the right thing” and prosecute bad cops. There are many cases of cops parking in front of grand jurors’ residences, following them around, and threaten to issue citations to them, in order to “convince” them to “make the right decision”…the “thin blue line” at its worst…
The whole system has to change.
Eliminate absolute and qualified immunity for all public officials. The fear of personal lawsuits would be a powerful deterrent against abuses of the public.
Any funds disbursed to civilians as a result of official misconduct must be taken from the police pension funds–NOT from the taxpayers.
Grand juries must be superior to the prosecutor; ALL evidence must be presented to grand jurors. Failure to do so must be considered a felony and subject prosecutors to prosecution themselves.
No police agency can be allowed to investigate itself. Internal affairs departments must be restricted to minor in-house investigations of behavior between cops. All investigations must be handled by outside agencies, preferably at the state level.
Civilian police review boards must be free of police influence. Members of civilian review boards must have NO ties to police departments. Relatives of police would be prohibited from serving…Recently, the “supreme court” threw police another “bone”. The court ruled that police are not responsible for their actions if they are “ignorant of the law”…now, let’s get this straight–honest citizens cannot use “ignorance of the law” as an excuse, but cops can??
Revolution is sorely needed…..
Here are “police” practices that deserve to be exposed:
#1. During a traffic stop, the police officer will touch the back of your car. The reason for this “touch” is that, quite often, the police officer will have a small quantity of narcotics (marijuana or cocaine) on him (in his hand) that he will rub on the car in order to help “justify a search”. When the dog is brought in, it will react to “cues” from its handler as well as the drug residue on the vehicle and help “justify a search”. This tactic is mostly used against young people. Drugs can also be “planted” on a “suspect”.
The “touch” used to be a way for police officers to “prove” that they had an interaction with a citizen, but no more . . .
#2. Most (if not all) cops possess a “throwdown” weapon. This “helper” is obtained from a criminal who is then “let go” without his weapon and is always used to justify a questionable police situation and to “sanitize” a “crime scene to absolve police on the scene of criminal police behavior.
#3. If you are in the back of a police car, LIE DOWN on the seat. Police use the concept of “screening” to abuse their unwilling “passenger”. This involves, driving at high rates of speed, violent turns and other antics to get the passenger to “hit the screen” separating the front from the back with his face. Hence the act of “screening”.
#4. If you are being handcuffed, quite often the police officer will wrench you arm behind you, forcing you to “turn around”. The officer will then add a charge of “assault” to whatever other charges they concoct against you (just for being forced to turn around). They “pile on” charges, hoping you will plead guilty to at least one.
Remember–NEVER CONSENT TO SEARCH . . . You must be polite, but firm in your refusal. You can state that “you NEVER consent to searches” as well as using these “magic” words–“am I free to go?” The police officer MUST answer your question . . . If you are being detained and an illegal search takes place, you have legal recourse.
Remember–police are not your friends . . .
That being said, not all “law enforcement” is criminal, but the “thin blue line” that they so jealously guard (and “look the other way” when rogue cops abuse their authority) does much to taint ALL “law enforcement” with having ulterior motives.
There have been too many instances of police errors, mistakes, and misconduct that have not been properly addressed. From harassing honest citizens over minor disagreements, questionable shootings of honest citizens, to SWAT teams raiding “the wrong house”, smashing everything in sight, with no apologies to the occupants for their “mistakes”, there is something seriously amiss with law enforcement in this country.
Militarization, along with the “us vs. them” attitude, seeing the general public as the “enemy”, treating the public with suspicion, many of those that comprise the “thin blue line” do much to alienate themselves from their “bosses”, the law-abiding public.
Police have forgotten that a little “Andy Taylor” can go a long way in soothing fears that the public has of law enforcement…
It seems that in today’s supercharged climate of “officer safety”, innocent civilian lives have been extinguished, with tragic results.
Part of the “problem” has to do with the elevation of “officer safety”, trumping “citizen safety”. It seems that honest citizens have been relegated to second-class “status”, being expendable whenever a “law enforcement” officer’s (perceived) “safety” is threatened.
The hypocrisy is so blatant, that even with incontrovertible video and audio evidence, police-friendly prosecutors, along with “rubber stamp” grand juries STILL absolve rogue cops of wrongdoing.
The public is not stupid, seeing through the double-standard that presently exists. This, in no certain terms, absolves anyone of responsibility for perpetrating unnecessary violence against “law enforcement” or the general public…
The sad part of this whole situation is that when the SHTF, the good cops will suffer, as those with “axes to grind” will see only the uniform and will be unable (or even unwilling) to differentiate between the “good” and the few “bad”…collateral damage at its worst.
Non-violent changes in the whole system are sorely needed……