Defund the Criminals

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”  Romans 13:1

I originally published this blog in 2018 prior to the “defund the police” movement started by people who do not appreciate the risks and dangers that our police officers face daily.  Some politicians who cry the slogan the loudest hire private security guards to protect themselves, thus they know that we live in a dangerous world and not everyone is our friend.  It is true that there are a few men and women who shouldn’t be wearing the uniform and shield, but the vast majority of police officers are dedicated to serving the public and keeping the peace.

A few years ago, I took advantage of the Citizens Police Academy offered by the local police department.  It was an eye-opening experience and should be taken advantage of by everyone who has an opportunity to do so.  The classes were held one night per week for ten weeks.  Each night was a different subject, among those were gangs, drugs, SWAT, crime scene investigation, cybercrime, on the spot judgment calls allowing attendees to experience pursuit of a criminal by simulation, and the canine unit in which we saw a demonstration by a dog trained to detect drugs.  The class that I will remember a long time was the visit to the local medical examiner’s office.  We saw where autopsies were done and visited the morgue.  It was a cold, 42 degrees, dark room where bodies in body bags were laid on stainless steel tables.  There were four bodies on that particular day.  It was an eerie feeling, but also a sad one to think about those people, who they were, what took their lives, did they have families?  I was really glad to get back outdoors.  One thing about it–death is just as real as life.

The last night of class, we met in a city park where we were allowed to wear the belt that officers wear.  Of course, we did not have a real gun or taser, but the belt was heavy anyway.  We participated in a traffic stop.  We got to drive a police car and turn on the siren and blue light.  My particular stop was several teenagers in a car, three boys and one girl who was holding a sign in the window saying, “help me”.  I had to question them to find out if it was a hoax or a real situation.  These kids were acting, but they were pretty convincing.  A police officer never knows what he or she will face when making a traffic stop.  We have seen plenty of reports on the news where the officer gets shot or dragged down the road by the perpetrator.

At the end of the course, I was truly astounded at the dedication that these officers, all the way from the chief down to the rookies, had for their jobs.  You could tell that this was what they were called by God to do.  God established law and order and puts it into the hearts of certain man and women to serve the public for our protection and safety.  Imagine living in a town or city where there was no police protection at all.  Suppose you were alone in your home, and someone was trying to break in.  You call 911, and no one answers.  If our society ever gets to that point, then we will revert back to the way it was in the old west when everyone was responsible for their own protection against the outlaws.  It is actually getting that way in some cities of our nation.  People who commit crimes are not punished.  They are arrested and released the same day only to be able to commit more crime.  It makes no sense to most Americans, but it still goes on.  It seems that the authorities care more about the welfare of the criminals than they do about the victims.

Unless this trend is reversed, there will be fewer and fewer men and women desiring to go into law enforcement since they know that they will not receive the support from politicians.  Paul went on to say that those who commit crimes are not only committing them against mankind but also against God and will receive damnation.  Civil authorities are intended to be a terror to those who do evil, but if people obey the law, then they don’t have to be afraid of the authorities.  However, if people do evil, then they should be very afraid for the rulers do not bear the sword in vain because they are ministers of God to execute wrath upon those who do evil.  The problem is now that some who are responsible for punishing crime and seeking justice for the victims are doing just the opposite.  Satan is really gaining a lot of ground, but it is up to us believers to pray and seek righteousness in our nation.  Otherwise, there won’t be much of a nation left.