(USA Features) Resignations and retirements are soaring among police departments around the country amid a Democrat-driven effort to “defund” departments, even as crime rates and violence in larger cities skyrockets.
According to a survey of roughly 200 departments, retirements were “up 45 percent and resignations rose by 18 percent in the year from April 2020 to April 2021 when compared with the previous 12 months, according to the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington policy institute,” as by The New York Times.
In the Big Apple alone, for instance, more than 1,000 cops retired last year than in 2019 — or 2,600 retirements compared with 1,509 the previous year.
In Minneapolis, the epicenter of rioting and violence following George Floyd’s death, saw its uniformed force fall from 912 to 699.
Asheville, N.C. Police Chief David Zack said his department has lost more than one-third of its officers, saying he “knew” they “were going to be in trouble” as the force reduced traffic stops last year by 85%.
“I don’t think we ever anticipated getting to this level,” he said.
“They said that we have become the bad guys, and we did not get into this to become the bad guys,” he continued, referring to the protests, many of which were targeted toward officers, highlight by a “defund the police” movement embraced by many Democrats.
“Officers who left said they endured a barrage of ‘good riddance’ taunts on social media,” The Times reported. “Some said they were accused of leaving because the higher level of public scrutiny meant they could no longer beat up people of color with impunity.
“One sergeant who quit after a decade on the force, who did not want his name published because of the aggressive verbal attacks online, said last summer had chipped away at his professional pride and personal health. He could not sleep and drank too much,” the paper continued.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, claimed her party has never called for defunding police departments.
“The fact is that we’ve never taken the position as a party that we should defund the police. I am a progressive Democrat. I have never said that we should defund the police,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said during an appearance on CNN this week.
“The Democrats do not stand for defunding police. The police have a major role to play, especially community policing and reducing the incidents of violence and crime in our communities,” she added.
In fact, several Democrat-run cities have actually cut police funding. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Democrat-dominated city council cut hundreds of millions from the NYPD’s budget last year.
Also, the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to cut funding to its police force, as did the city of Minneapolis, which initially voted to abolish the entire force.
Also, following what appeared to be an accidental police shooting in Brooklyn Center, Minn., Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib tweeted, “Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.”