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While protests across the country over the death of George Floyd continue, police officers are resigning at an unusual rate.
Floyd, a Minnesota black man, died while being arrested by police.
The arrest was caught on video and went viral showing Floyd was pinned down by a white police officer’s knee to his neck.
Video coverage of Floyd’s arrest shows he was unarmed and restrained with handcuffs and his death sparked protests nationwide.
In Minneapolis, it’s reported that since the protests, there are seven confirmed resignations with more expected and that “several officers in exit interviews cited a lack of support” coming from police leadership and local government.
The Star Tribune reports:
At least seven Minneapolis police officers have resigned from the department since widespread unrest began over the death of George Floyd last month, and more than half a dozen are in the process of leaving, according to department officials.
Morale is also a key concern.
Morale has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, say department insiders, as officers reported feeling misunderstood and squeezed by all sides: by the state probe; by protesters, who hurled bricks and epithets their way; by city leaders…
The Atlanta police force is also experiencing an unusual turnover of officers since the beginning of June.
Fox News reports:
Atlanta Police said eight officers have resigned since June 1, a higher rate than usual; the department had seen two to six monthly resignations in 2020.
Eight police officers have resigned. Not 19. The Atlanta Police Foundation has apologized. pic.twitter.com/hnS6daltmH
— Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe) June 16, 2020
Adding to the mix are calls from Democrats to defund and disband police departments and it’s already happening in New York City.
Last week, New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to cut the police department’s budget, ignoring the spike in violence as protesters flooded the streets over the death of Floyd.
Although some protesters were peaceful in New York City, violence escalated, including looting and property damage along with a spike in shootings and murders last week.
The New York Post reports:
From last Monday to Sunday night, there were 13 murders in the city, compared to five killings during the same week last year, sources said.
The city reported 40 shootings last week — the most in a week since 2015. In the same time period in 2019, there were 24 shootings, sources said.
And as crime surges in New York City, the police department announced its anti-crime unit of about 600 plainclothes officers will be disbanded.
Breitbart reports on a statement from the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York Pat Lynch:
“Anti-Crime’s mission was to protect New Yorkers by proactively preventing crime, especially gun violence,” Lynch said in a statement. “Shooting and murders are both climbing steadily upward, but our city leaders have clearly decided that proactive policing isn’t a priority anymore. They chose this strategy. They will have to reckon with the consequences.”
Police officers resigning, along with radical efforts to defund and disband the police, will lead to fewer law enforcement officers on the streets and will put innocent citizens at risk with the largest negative impact expected in the black community in urban areas.
