WASHINGTON — Since the mid-1980s, we have called for more police on the beat. During the Clinton presidency, federal funds were allocated to put 50,000 more police officers into our communities. Now, with a recession running full blast, local governments are tending to cut all budgets, including those for law enforcement. But in light of the terrorist threat facing America, the opposite course is called for.
The arguments against this proposal have always centered on two issues: money and the specter of a police state.
Money is always a problem, but not when we recognize that the first duty of government is to provide for the public safety.
The police-state argument is more difficult to address because it is in the eye of the beholder. For decades, police and/or soldiers armed with automatic weapons patrolled airports in Europe, a fact that made people more secure without instilling a police-state fear.
The fact is that police are like referees on a sports field. Without them, there is anarchy and chaos — rule of the strongest. With them, there is order. The idea is to mimic the sports field on the streets of America. A police officer on every other corner would create order, not fear. And with the advent of the terrorist threat, that sense of order is more important than ever.
It should be noted that police have several advantages that the typical citizen does not have:
1. Police are trained to look for criminal activity.
2. It is their full-time job; they are not distracted so easily as civilians by shopping and conversation.
3. They are armed.
4. They are trained to disarm and arrest suspected criminals.
5. They possess the latest photos of suspected criminals, including terrorists.
6. They are connected by radio to bring in backup.
7. They are equipped to call in emergency vehicles.
8. Uniformed and armed, they represent a visible deterrence against crime, including terrorism.
In short, police officers are human enforcement centers, and, as such, they are essential to the well being of our society. These facts should be obvious to citizens and legislators alike, but they have not been.
Police cannot stop all crime, but they can play a significant role in reducing it, especially becoming the most important element in deterring terrorism.
So America wants an economic stimulus package? How about allocating funds to add 200,000 police on the street? That would very quickly bring a simultaneous infusion of cash and safety into our communities.
Distributed by United Feature Syndicate Inc.