This is a story of two different types of violent crime in America, both of which have been on the rise for nearly a decade, but particularly so since 2020. One is the general category of murders and assaults committed against various citizens. The other is the increasingly common pattern of violent attacks on police officers in the line of duty. While it’s true that law enforcement officials are citizens like anyone else, attacks on the police are particularly heinous crimes. Betsy Brantner Smith is a spokeswoman for the National Police Association, an advocacy group that educates the public on law enforcement tactics and works to build better relationships between the police and the communities they serve. She was interviewed this week on a podcast hosted by Senator Marsha Blackburn and shared her views on how the safety situation for police officers has deteriorated so badly in recent years. She’s also pretty sure she knows who to blame for this, and it’s not just the people attacking the cops. (Daily Wire)

National Police Association spokeswoman Betsy Brantner Smith said “left-wing policies” are sending crime and anti-police sentiment soaring across the U.S.

Smith appeared on the latest episode of Unmuted With Marsha, a Facebook show hosted by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), set to air on Wednesday. The Daily Wire obtained early access to the latest episode…

“The de-prosecution, the refusal to prosecute violent criminals and a host of other, quite frankly, all left-leaning policies … have allowed violent criminals back on the street, have allowed police officers to be vilified,” she said. “So many police officers have left the job or gone to other areas of the country where they are going to be better appreciated.”

We’ve already discussed the shocking number of police funerals that have taken place in just the first forty days of this year here. The number of officers who have been shot or otherwise assaulted but survived is far higher. While the job of the police is always dangerous by definition, this is still not normal, and Betsy Brantner Smith is noting some important and alarming trends that are clearly feeding into this destructive pattern.

One part of it is the ongoing war of narratives taking place among liberal politicians and the majority of mainstream media. A relatively tiny percentage of police use-of-force encounters that go badly either due to bad actors or unfortunate but honest mistakes are blown completely out of proportion. Any time a person of color winds up in such an encounter, a national network of media and social networking activists rally mobs of the perpetually outraged to take to the streets, feeding the flames of hatred against law enforcement. That’s what led to the massive BLM protests and riots, all too often seemingly emboldening people to attack the thin blue line.

But at the same time, a new generation of prosecutors, District Attorneys, mayors and City Council members have warped our laws and enforcement procedures to prevent as many criminals as possible from spending even one night behind bars. This has clearly emboldened those already inclined to break the law to do so more freely, including attacking the police at random or while resisting arrest. These media talking heads and liberal elected officials have contributed to the onslaught.

For an example, look no further than the steadily rising violent crime rates and attacks on cops in New York City under the mismanagement of Mayor Bill de Blasio and now the soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Other examples in larger blue cities around the country abound.

This isn’t a challenge that can be solved by passing new laws. It requires a cultural shift back to a point where people recognize society’s need for law and order to continue existing. The more that system is undermined, the more dangerous the world becomes and the more unstable our societies appear to be. With luck, voters responding to all of this violence will bring in a course correction by rejecting those in power who contribute to this decline.