Five NYPD officers have been shot this year with two giving the ultimate sacrifice.  Officer Wilbert Mora was 27 and officer Jason Rivera was only 22 years old (read more here).

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The violence is taking place across the country with three cops shot on Thursday this week in Houston.

Two cops were shot on Wednesday this week in the Ferguson neighborhood in St. Louis with one of the officers in critical condition. In the first 27 days of 2022,

This violent start is following a year where the intentional murder of police officers hit a 20 year high.

"According to preliminary year-end data provided to CNN by the FBI, 73 officers died in felonious killings in the line of duty in 2021. The year marks the highest total recorded by the agency since 1995, excluding the 9/11 attacks." — CNN report

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Of the 73 killings, 55 were the result of gunfire.

The assaults keep coming. And groups like Black Lives Matter seem to look at the violence as an opportunity to go after the reputations of the cops themselves, instead of addressing the rising violence in neighborhoods across the nation.

It's outrageous to think that a group that supposedly wants to stand up for the rights of Black Americans, can only get their point across by disparaging cops.

They should be ashamed and openly condemned by everyone in elected office.

The "war on cops" is further fueled by complicit and cowardly elected officials like New Jersey Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill who stood with the "defund the police" movement by voting to take away officers' qualified immunity.

U.S. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., posted a simple explanation of qualified immunity:

"Qualified immunity safeguards police officers from personal lawsuits, unless they engage in behavior that they reasonably should have known violated a citizen’s rights. This protects officers from malicious lawsuits that would otherwise financially cripple them and hollow out departments."

Between BLM, click-bait corporate media and cowardly politicians who are so afraid of being attacked by the woke mob on social media that they are quick to throw our finest under the bus, this is a tough time to be a cop.

Meanwhile, our cities are devolving into criminal cesspools where crime is rising, citizens are living in fear and cops are prevented from doing the job they need to do to clean up the streets.

Like many of you, I'm old enough to remember how New York City was before Rudy Giuliani came in and, with smart policing, cleaned it up.

Second NYPD Officer Dies After Ambush In Harlem Building
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For today's #BlueFriday I'm asking you to support an important fund close to home. It's the Survivors fund sponsored by our friends at New Jersey's largest police union, the NJSPBA. The fund is there for the families of cops who make the ultimate sacrifice. From the PBA website:

"The New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association Survivor & Welfare Fund is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing support and survivor benefits to the families of PBA members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and easing the burden of those officers who are experiencing significant personal hardships."

My friend Heather Darling, who is the elected surrogate in Morris County, joined the conversation this morning to stand up for our men and women in blue. She is one of the strongest advocates for police and I'm confident there will be an opportunity for citizens to elevate her to higher office so she can continue to fight to defend and support the police.

Listen to our conversation On-Demand:

Remember, There is a thin line between civilization and savagery...and that line is Blue.

 

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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