The Thin Blue Line; how is today’s environment potentially making it even thinner?
Our two guests have a combined 60 years of law enforcement experience on opposite coasts.
Mike Ulichny first pinned on a badge in 1966. His last position before he retired was as acting Chief of the Tucson Police Department. Paul O’Leary has twenty years in law enforcement and also serves with the National Guard. In addition to contributing to Havok Journal, Paul also writes for Rhino Den.
We lead with a discussion about whether there truly is a current “War on Cops.” The data regarding officer deaths in the line of duty does not necessarily support the theory but are definitely trending in the wrong direction. We discuss Paul’s recent article published in the Havok Journal “We are the Thin Blue Line”.
Annual law enforcement deaths in 2015 & 2015 were 122 and 123 respectively. The year with most officer deaths was 1930 (304 officers killed). However, improvements in equipment and trauma care may have an impact and the numbers of violent assaults upon police officers with firearms is definitely trending upward. The recent ambushes and direct assassinations of police officers also foreshadow a ominous trend. What happens if the Thin Blue Line were to break?
Both guests share their opinion on whether the “Ferguson Effect” is real and how that may be causing a paradigm shift in policing strategies. The Minneapolis Police Department has gone as far as to propose withholding dispatch until a 911 caller provides their name.
Listeners are challenged to consider what it is like to leave home and family each day without knowing what the day will bring or the possibility that one may not return home at all.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:07 — 7.3MB)