The State Police Association of Massachusetts is disgusted by the endless onslaught of attacks on law enforcement by violent assailants, special interest groups and the political establishment, that is seemingly more concerned with press conferences than training, equipping and supporting modern, professional police services.
Last night we closed out 2020 with yet another firearm assault resulting in a second trooper shot in as many months. Criminal elements of society have grown more daring and emboldened as a direct result of the vitriol opined by so-called political and media pundits who shame and attack law enforcement on a daily basis.
Physical and vehicular assaults, firearm and knife attacks, roadside ambushes – these are now common against law enforcement from a society that has turned its back on those sworn to prevent the same harm and disorder from occurring within our communities. These unprovoked and vicious attacks remind us of the dangers faced daily by law-enforcement. Even a simple encounter or traffic stop can quickly turn violent.
Recently our members, and law enforcement across the Commonwealth and the United States, have been involved in multiple, violent, near-death encounters. Yet, the Commonwealth has chosen this moment to use Massachusetts law enforcement as the test-subjects for a new Commission, markedly different in composition and scope than those that have been studied and practiced in 46 other states. The lack of professional policing experience on the boards and commissions is dangerous. Unfortunately, it will take time and serious physical injuries to members of law enforcement to reveal the mistake of staffing commissions with political appointees who have no real-world experience in policing and the dangers officers face every day. Policing must be in service to the laws of the Commonwealth, not public opinion.
We begin 2021 thinking of our members who have been injured in the line-of-duty and ask all to remember that their fight is not over. The healing, both physical and mental, is a long process, and one that affects not only the trooper struggling to heal and regain the full use of their body, but also all of those around them.
Stay safe,
Corey J. Mackey
President, State Police Association of Massachusetts