This was not only predictable, but necessary, in the wake of Dallas, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and too many other locations around the nation to name. Police are being targeted by criminals in ambush assassinations which is something quite different from the normal dangers law enforcement officers encounter in the regular course of chasing bad guys. If you can’t at least admit that much there’s not much more anyone can say to you. (Heck, there are even people putting glass in the sandwiches of police officers ordering lunch.)

So what should the cops be doing about it? Better tactics and improved defensive measures are clearly called for, and as much as the Social Justice Warriors may want to scream about it, that’s what’s already taking place. (Time Magazine)

In Baltimore, the police department is requiring that two cars respond to all calls. In Chicago, officers now patrol neighborhoods in pairs. And in Los Angeles, the department is shifting officers to serve as extra backup while increasing the number of helicopters flying above the city.

Following the horrific attacks on police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas, which left eight cops dead and 10 wounded, law enforcement around the country are responding by adjusting strategy, changing tactics and adopting measures they hope will guard against similar plots.

Some of the most extensive changes are happening in LA, where on Sunday Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that officers from LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, which normally deals with crime suppression and community-based policing efforts, would temporarily assist those on patrol.

Most of these seem like common sense. For too long we’ve seen police forces in communities large and small (including where I live) trimming back because of budget cuts and going to squad cars with a single officer in them. That’s simply not safe. For those with no other options, it might be possible to implement a policy where a single officer in a car doesn’t engage on a call until at least one other unit arrives, but now you’re dragging out response times and making the police less able to actually stop the bad guys. Having two officers provides immediate back up and the possibility that at least one of them will be able to render immediate first aid and/or return fire in the event of an ambush. Not every community can afford helicopter support, but the ones who can are able to provide an incredible tool for rapid response, tracking of fleeing suspects and wider areas of coverage. Body armor and higher power weapons should be the order of the day, in addition to body cameras and other tools to provide accountability to the public. The two are not mutually incompatible.

Also, we need to put an end to these political discussions of how “awful” it is when police forces deploy with surplus military equipment and other gear which makes them look “militarized.” That’s a load of nonsense. The cops are in a war, now more than ever. That doesn’t mean they are at war with the community, even if that’s how Democrats and the SJW want to portray it, but they are engaged in a war with the criminals and anarchists who want to kill them and topple the boundaries of society. And yes… if you are shooting cops or advocating attacks on the police, that means you.

The whole idea of “community policing” sounds wonderful and hearkens to an era which is sadly long gone, but tactics must take the realities of the 21st century into account. The lone cop walking a beat, twirling his baton and chatting with folks in the neighborhood is an admirable goal. Perhaps there are still many places where that can be done. But particularly in the larger cities these days, a single, unarmored cop walking alone down the streets is a target. The protesters out there in the streets can complain all they want when such unpleasant subjects are brought up, but there are still people out on those marches carrying signs saying, “Oink Oink Bang Bang” and chanting about wanting dead cops. With the bloody scenes we’re already witnessing this year, your denials of this reality fall on deaf ears. Cops have to be allowed to defend their own lives if we expect them to protect ours.