Harsher penalties may be on the way for those who attack law enforcement officers.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last month that would toughen federal penalties against people who intentionally target law enforcement officers in attacks, including ambushes, but several civil rights organizations called the bill a missed opportunity and “another attack on Black lives.”
Those who oppose it say the bill, nicknamed “Blue Lives Matter,” reinforces the myth of the police as vulnerable and embattled — the very grounds on which police officers consistently justify the use of lethal force against black life.
Still the bill, actually titled the “Protect and Serve Act of 2018,” overwhelmingly passed the house on a vote of 382 to 35.
“Sadly, we’ve seen a recent rash and an increase in violence against officers especially in ambush-style attacks,” Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., said Wednesday. “We as members of Congress must show the law enforcement community across this country that we support them and the important work that they do day in and day out. We must also show that those who wish to target police officers with violence that those attacks will not be tolerated.”
The measure proposed by Rutherford, a former Duval County sheriff, and Florida Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat and former Orlando police chief, would make it a federal crime to intentionally assault a police officer with punishment up to 10 years. The punishment could be life in prison if the officer is killed or kidnapped.
A similar measure in the Senate proposed by Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., would make it a hate crime. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act makes it a federal crime to assault someone based on their perceived race, color, religion or national origin. The Senate bill would include the “status of the person as a law enforcement officer.”
President Donald Trump, who supports the bill, said one of the most alarming crimes against officers is an ambush.
Several law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations, support the legislation.
But some civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, call it unnecessary and say it duplicates many state laws already in place.
Kanya Bennet, American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel, said:
“It’s disturbing that the House used Police Week to pass this divisive bill that does not improve officer safety. Instead of focusing on fostering community-police relations, members of Congress chose to perpetuate the ‘war on police’ narrative. Contrary to what the Trump administration says, there is no ‘war on police’ — not in our towns, cities, or at the border.