In military search-and-rescue training, there’s a critical lesson: be wary of the drowning person. In their panic, they might drag down the very person trying to save them. This image perfectly encapsulates the current relationship between law enforcement and the public, particularly minority communities. In the chaos of fear, frustration, and anger, many activists have turned their ire toward law enforcement—leaving officers struggling to stay afloat in a sea of rising crime and public distrust.
This was never more apparent than during the George Floyd protests and subsequent calls to defund the police. What could have been a pivotal moment for uniting communities across the country to address drug abuse, violence, and crime instead became an opportunity to vilify law enforcement. And since then, we’ve seen the consequences of this approach play out in cities across the U.S. For us locally, Burlington, Vermont, is a powerful example.
The Aftermath of Defunding
In the wake of the 2020 protests, Burlington voted to reduce its police force by 30%. In just a few years, the effects were undeniable: crime rates, including drug-related offenses and homicides, surged. The police department, already facing recruitment challenges, struggled to keep up with the rising demands. Burlington became a microcosm of what happens when the relationship between law enforcement and the community is severed, leaving officers outnumbered and overwhelmed.
Critics, including law enforcement officials and business leaders, pointed to progressive policies—particularly from Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George—as exacerbating the issue. George’s restorative justice programs, which sought alternatives to traditional prosecution, were seen by some as fueling repeat offenses and crime. While restorative justice has its place, it’s clear that when law enforcement is weakened, and offenders are not held accountable, the result is a breakdown in public safety. Burlington’s rising drug problem and crime rates make this painfully evident.
The Drug Crisis and the Role of Law Enforcement
What’s even more troubling is the parallel rise in drug-related deaths. According to the CDC, over 100,000 people die annually from drug overdoses—many victims of the opioid crisis. Compare that to fewer than 100 potentially unlawful police shootings each year, and the disparity becomes stark: for every potentially unlawful police shooting, there are about 1,000 deaths from drug overdoses.
Moreover, it’s crucial to understand that even those potentially unlawful police shootings typically occur while officers are responding to dangerous crimes, dealing with armed suspects, or protecting others. These aren’t situations where police simply show up and start shooting; they are often reacting in high-pressure, life-threatening environments. The real threat to communities isn’t law enforcement—it’s drugs, and the violence and crime that come with them.
When the next tragedy occurs—and it inevitably will—we need to resist the urge to buy into the immediate media frenzy and emotional responses. Instead, we should take a calm, rational look at the situation to identify what actually happened. Only then can we avoid being swept up in a rush to judgment and truly address the underlying issues.
The Celebrity Hypocrisy
But it isn’t just activists who bear responsibility for this narrative—celebrities and the media have also played a significant role. Take Snoop Dogg, for instance. In 2016, Snoop released a track that contained anti-police rhetoric, yet just a few years later, in 2021, he was co-hosting the Puppy Bowl on Discovery Channel, a family-friendly event. This isn’t the gangsta rapper of the 90s; this is a mature Snoop Dogg still engaging in controversial themes while being embraced by mainstream media.
This contradiction speaks volumes about the double standards in popular culture. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg can rap about violence against police and still be welcomed into America’s living rooms as a mainstream figure. It’s a dangerous message for young people who are absorbing these mixed signals from media and entertainment.
The Real Solution: Unity and Reform from Within
There’s another disturbing trend: those pushing for police reform rarely include the voices of law enforcement themselves—the very people on the front lines dealing with dangerous, often drug-addled individuals who pose a threat to their communities. If law enforcement needs reform, why are those most familiar with its challenges and intricacies not being asked to lead the charge?
Police departments, many of which continuously improve their processes, have shown evidence of progress, as seen in the decreasing incidence of negative public interactions. Instead of vilifying them, communities should support their efforts while holding them accountable in a constructive way. Law enforcement should be seen as part of the solution, not the problem. The overwhelming majority of negative interactions with law enforcement stem from people who are under the influence of drugs or committing criminal acts. And it is those real threats, those individuals, that communities must focus on.
Rewriting the Narrative
It’s time to flip the narrative. For too long, a generation of young people has been taught that law enforcement is the enemy, while the media and celebrities glorify drug dealers and anti-police rhetoric. Parents, despite the overwhelming rush of negative media, must push back and teach their children the truth: that police officers are here to protect us, that most of them are doing their jobs honorably, and that drugs—not law enforcement—are the real scourge on our communities.
If we’re going to reform anything, it should be the way we think about public safety. Communities must join together with law enforcement to tackle the societal problems that matter: drugs, crime, and violence. This isn’t just a theory—it’s supported by statistics, and it’s a reality we can no longer afford to ignore. If we don’t, we risk drowning the very people trying to save us.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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