Another round of difficult news with regard to law enforcement and gun violence. 

The country is again offering sincere thoughts and prayers in support of the fallen, most notably for two NYPD officers who died in the line of duty and the senseless murder of an officer in Harris County, Texas.

And then there is the unfortunate lethal use of force by six of nine police officers on the scene from three local law enforcement agencies in Nashville, who killed Landon Eastep, an apparently mentally disturbed man who was brandishing a box cutter. 

No matter how the official explanation goes, the incident stands as further evidence of police edginess in dealing with potential threats from civilians.  This link to the Nashville Metro Police (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmMwF0YDBNc) conveys the official police briefing and body camera film of the unfortunate incident.

All of these tragic events confirm the difficulties, dangers, and stresses confronting police every day if not every hour or minute. 

In response to the NYC case, New York Mayor Adams and the leaders of NY police organizations are making many familiar suggestions for tackling the problem of gun trafficking, ghost guns, getting greater support from prosecutors, and addressing the underling social problems that feed much of the gun violence in the cities.

And, in Nashville, police are investigating the Eastep shooting.

But despite their casualties and the Nashville event, police leaders do not seem to have offered one word of support or demand for federal gun legislation, including H.R 8 on “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021” now in play in the House of Representatives or the S 1108 “Keep Americans Safe Act” in the Senate.

Particularly perplexing is their silence on legal limits on magazines, although N.Y City Mayor Adams did express early incredulity about the assailant who killed officers Mora and Rivera being armed with a 45 with a 40 round magazine.

The photos of the thousands of NYPD police officers make one wonder, why aren’t rank and file police clamoring for tougher gun safety and security laws, laws that will clearly reduce the daily risks, threats and stresses they face.     

Mayor Adams’s impassioned January 24 speech committed his Administration and City agencies to work hard and with vision with local, state and federal officials to curb gun violence, focusing first on trafficking in illegal guns, on ghost guns, and all of the social vulnerabilities of the young people who are being manipulated by others to commit crimes of violence.  This link conveys Mayor Adams’ forceful presentation (  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhwrcS08bTA.)

Listening to the 25 minute presentation and almost as an afterthought, it wasn’t until his wrap up did he broach the notion of supporting federal firearm legislation calling for passage of pending legislation on background checks.

But still not a word about magazine limits, red flag laws, or assault weapons.

The silence on these issues is similarly deafening from the New York Fraternal Order of Police and the New York Police Beneficial Association, whose President  focused on the need for law enforcement to take back the streets (https://www.nycpba.org/news-items/new-york-1/2022/pat-lynch-calls-for-public-and-officials-to-provide-the-tools-to-take-back-the-streets/; so strange not to hear a broader vision and understanding of the core issue, that police are working against a sea of firearms, many in the hands of irresponsible and often criminal people. 

That neither police leadership nor the rank and file officers are clamoring for limits on magazines is truly hard to comprehend, as is Mayor Adams failure to return to the issue in his forceful remarks on the new New York City strategy to curb gun violence.

Meanwhile, back at the Congressional ranch, two bills are languishing and certainly could get a boost if police organizations were to step forward with active support. 

HR 8: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr+8%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=1

S 1108: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-117s1108is

Let’s all look for ways to lobby, persuade or put pressure on law enforcement leaders to engage on legislation that protects their people and all of us.  They, like all of us, should want more than thoughts, prayers and services for their fallen officers.

Meanwhile, the violence confronting the police nationwide continues unabated, with January seeing four fatalities from firearms.  We can and should do more to reduce the risk to our officers.