Should assaulting police officers be considered a hate crime?

[Stevicus]

Should assaulting police be a hate crime? Lawmakers across the US are saying "Yes."

Echoes of the July 2016 fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas continue to reverberate nationwide, as more and more states push to enact special "Blue Lives Matter" laws making violent acts against cops a hate crime.

Social justice advocates argue the new laws give police greater power to crackdown on protesters and silence dissent.

New York's state senate on Tuesday became the latest legislative body to pass a so-called "Blue Lives Matter" bill, voting 55-7 in favor of the Community Heroes Protection Act. If it's passed by the state assembly and signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the proposed law would "make crimes explicitly committed against law enforcement and first responders punishable as hate crimes," according to a New York State Senate press release.

The article mentions that at least 15 states have introduced or passed Blue Lives Matter laws which give special protections to police officers who may be assaulted or attacked.

The article noted that 143 police officers died in the line of duty in 2016, although that includes those who died in car accidents and other incidents, not just attacks. By comparison, 1092 civilians died in police encounters in 2016.

What's more, while police who kill civilians almost never go to prison, civilians who kill police often never get out of the penitentiary. Federal law even mandates special protection for police dogs attacked by perpetrators, while cops who kill civilian canines are rarely punished.

"That's the go [for police] to call 'stop resisting' even if you're not," said New York activist Kimberly Ortiz of the pro-Black Lives Matter group NYC Shut It Down. Speaking with Mic via text message, Ortiz, who has been arrested multiple times over the years at demonstrations, suggested police routinely make false claims of protesters resisting arrest.

"Given that it's already the practice of the NYPD, of course, it will only get worse," Ortiz said. "Law enforcement hates [Black Lives Matter] and will do anything to crush it."

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Maybe, we can start prosecuting all crimes to the same standard, whatever the race, gender, or job of the perpetrator and victim. All crimes of violence are "hate crimes." Let's stop getting sidetracked with extra, meaningless baggage all the time.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Should assaulting police be a hate crime? Lawmakers across the US are saying "Yes."

Absolutely not. Given the sheer level of police corruption in America, it is not a good idea to elevate law enforcers above the common citizenry. Badges do not grant extra rights.

 

[Polymath257]

It depends. Did the person perpetrating the crime set out to assault police simply because they are police? Then yes.

Or, was the person defending themselves against a corrupt cop? In that case, no.

Or, more likely, were they being arrested and resisted? In that case, no--it should be a matter of resisting arrest.

 

[leibowde84]

Maybe, we can start prosecuting all crimes to the same standard, whatever the race, gender, or job of the perpetrator and victim. All crimes of violence are "hate crimes." Let's stop getting sidetracked with extra, meaningless baggage all the time.

How do you define "hate crime" if every violent crime qualifies? For example, how would assault of a security guard during a bank robbery fulfill the legal requirement of prejudice?

Hate Crime. A crime motivated by racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, or other prejudice.

 

[Flame]

Maybe, we can start prosecuting all crimes to the same standard, whatever the race, gender, or job of the perpetrator and victim. All crimes of violence are "hate crimes." Let's stop getting sidetracked with extra, meaningless baggage all the time.

South Park sums it up the best.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Hate Crime. A crime motivated by racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, or other prejudice.

Yeah, I find it a distinction without substance. I'm sure the security guard would agree.

 

[leibowde84]

Yeah, I find it a distinction without substance. I'm sure the security guard would agree.

So, what is the prejudice that motivated the assault of the security guard? Obviously it isn't animosity towards security guards, so what was it?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

So, what is the prejudice that motivated the assault of the security guard? Obviously it isn't animosity towards security guards, so what was it?

I think you're missing my point. The "hate" isn't the crime, but rather the violent act committed against another person. We should be prosecuting on consistent standards of the actual crime perpetrated.

 

[Polymath257]

I think you're missing my point. The "hate" isn't the crime, but rather the violent act committed against another person. We should be prosecuting on consistent standards of the actual crime perpetrated.

One of the standard things, though, that can make a crime more severe, or lessen the offense, is the viewpoint of the person committing the act. Motivation is *one* component of guilt.

 

[leibowde84]

I think you're missing my point. The "hate" isn't the crime, but rather the violent act committed against another person. We should be prosecuting on consistent standards of the actual crime perpetrated.

If prejudice wasn't such a monumental problem in our country, I would agree with you. But, it seems reasonable to enforce larger penalties for crimes based on prejudice in order to fight prejudice.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

One of the standard things, though, that can make a crime more severe, or lessen the offense, is the viewpoint of the person committing the act. Motivation is *one* component of guilt.

Yes, I don't see why assaulting a security guard while robbing a bank should be punished less than assaulting someone because of their race.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If prejudice wasn't such a monumental problem in our country, I would agree with you. But, it seems reasonable to enforce larger penalties for crimes based on prejudice in order to fight prejudice.

I don't find it reasonable. Nor, do I think it is effective in fighting anything.

 

[Flame]

But, it seems reasonable to enforce larger penalties for crimes based on prejudice in order to fight prejudice.

How does it fight prejudice? Here have a larger sentence to sit in prison to think about what you've done. It does nothing to solve the issue.

 

[Revoltingest]

Voted <no> cuz I don't believe in anything being a "hate crime".
If it's a crime, then it's a crime.

 

[rabkauhallA]

Should assaulting police be a hate crime? Lawmakers across the US are saying "Yes."



The article mentions that at least 15 states have introduced or passed Blue Lives Matter laws which give special protections to police officers who may be assaulted or attacked.

The article noted that 143 police officers died in the line of duty in 2016, although that includes those who died in car accidents and other incidents, not just attacks. By comparison, 1092 civilians died in police encounters in 2016.

This makes me sick. Killing or trying to kill a cop is already darn near LWOP. What a nonsense law. Just when we were barely moving forward, Trump, and worse, Jeff Sessions are here and want to fill prisons with long minimum sentences over zero violence drug possession aka addiction. I hate Trump, but Sessions is one evil racist with a black heart. He needs face cancer.... aggressive. Mortal. And before he can destroy lives. Off tooic, but does anyone else think one good punch could pop that evil elf's head right off his chicken neck?

 

[rabkauhallA]

Yes, I don't see why assaulting a security guard while robbing a bank should be punished less than assaulting someone because of their race.

Solution: don't rob banks? But show me one cop killer who gets a lenient sentence. Killing police is already maxed out. States with death penalty, will sentence them to death. States that max at LWOP, will give them that.

Unless this includes federal laws where they can execute a person no matter the state's law, this is really a distinction without a difference.

Plus, cops do the opposite of de-escalate in way too many situations. If 5 cops have you at gunpoint, and they're ALL screaming at the top of their lungs, your in sensory overload on top of the terror that you might be killed with one wrong gesture, no matter how desperately you tried to comply.

We've been at war for 16 years. Where do you think cops are recruited from? Policing your own community is not WAR. Yet all those "cool" toys from Iraq went to police departments across the nation (Ferguson?) along with new cops fresh back from battle. Recipe for disaster, and now ya wanna let them loose on protesters?

And for the record .... "Blue Lives never DIDN'T matter."
Proof is in the lack of prosecutions when they kill citizens, especially blacks, who live under an occupying force where they are squeezed into ghettos in big cities. Black Americans have my deepest sympathy and apologies for the ****e cops put them through daily.

 

[Revoltingest]

This makes me sick. Killing or trying to kill a cop is already darn near LWOP. What a nonsense law. Just when we were barely moving forward, Trump, and worse, Jeff Sessions are here and want to fill prisons with long minimum sentences over zero violence drug possession aka addiction.

We should remember that the War On Drugs really took
a turn towards massive incarceration under Bill Clinton.
Ref....
Bill Clinton continues to defend 1994 crime bill that fueled racist mass incarceration
Bill Clinton admits his crime law made mass incarceration 'worse'
And with bi-partisan support in subsequent presidencies, the policy continued.
Trump doesn't appear much different from his predecessors or the alternative (Hillary).
Ref....
How Trump Went From Drug Progressive to Drug Warrior

If you agree with me that this policy should change towards legalization & treatment
for addiction, then we need to get the voting public on board. It does no good to
blame just one of the many guilty politicians.

I hate Trump, but Sessions is one evil racist with a black heart. He needs face cancer.... aggressive. Mortal. And before he can destroy lives. Off tooic, but does anyone else think one good punch could pop that evil elf's head right off his chicken neck?

Heavens!

 

[columbus]

The article mentions that at least 15 states have introduced or passed Blue Lives Matter laws which give special protections to police officers who may be assaulted or attacked.

I don't even support hate crime laws in general. The crime is the crime, not the motivation. I don't care you beat somebody up because he's gay or because he didn't have any money when you robbed him.
But, furthermore, I don't think there is a place that hasn't already got extra tough penalties protecting cops.

This all looks like political pandering to me.
Tom

 

[Shiranui117]

Should assaulting police be a hate crime? Lawmakers across the US are saying "Yes."



The article mentions that at least 15 states have introduced or passed Blue Lives Matter laws which give special protections to police officers who may be assaulted or attacked.

The article noted that 143 police officers died in the line of duty in 2016, although that includes those who died in car accidents and other incidents, not just attacks. By comparison, 1092 civilians died in police encounters in 2016.

Depends. You can have anti-government folks who attack police as part of the establishment. That wouldn't be a hate crime, that's sedition. Or you can have mafia shooting up cops because they got in their way. That'd just be murder. Or you can have raving loons shooting at cops because they're tripping. That's... Manslaughter or murder? Depends on their mental state. Or you can have hooligans who resist or swing at a cop because they're stupid. That's resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.

A hate crime is only a hate crime if you attack a person or a group solely because they belong to a certain category of people.