Time to militarize our police departments (Opinion)

That's right — our cops are being exposed to an increased level of violence and weaponry on our streets. And that's not just me saying it. The term "urban warfare" was said on my show this morning by my friend and special forces expert, Jonathan Gilliam.

Jonathan served as an FBI special agent, Navy Seal and counter-terrorism expert. He's author of the book "Sheep No More" and he's my go-to expert on law enforcement issues. We discussed the fact that a few years ago, politicians in New Jersey and their complicit shills in the media tried to paint a negative picture of our police departments in an effort to dissuade them from accepting 'military-style' vehicles from the federal government.

As recently as this year, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman spoke out against a purchase of an armored vehicle in Mercer County. Here's the pull quote from the InsiderNJ article:

Over the past few decades, police departments nationwide have slowly succumbed to the trend of militarization, aided by destructive programs that have allowed police forces of every size to obtain equipment built for warfare, not keeping our communities safe,” the letter reads. “I urge you to vote against approving the purchase of any equipment that would bring these issues to Mercer County.

Her comments have helped fuel an anti-cop climate, which has directly lead to violence against our peace officers. This kind of irresponsible and stupid commentary should be unacceptable in our society.

Like Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Coleman sides with criminals over cops. Illegals over law abiding citizens. Grewal and Coleman both have said and acted in a way that creates a moral equivalency between LEOs and criminals. Grewal has implemented a 'sanctuary state' in NJ, which has led to the release of dangerous suspects into our community including an accused child rapist. He continues to push the narrative that the Federal Government Law Enforcement members are the bad guys.

Enough is enough. Stand with our cops. Stand up for law enforcement. Stand up and fight back. We need to reverse this trend and catch up with the reality of how dangerous the job of police officers has become. Give them every opportunity, every piece of equipment, every training opportunity and never look to balance your budget on the backs of police officers.

There can be no prosperity and no peace without the hard working, dedicated officers who get up every day and put themselves in harms way for the rest of us.

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Bill Spadea.

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