During a speech on Capitol Hill on Sunday, President Joe Biden addressed the difficulties of being a police officer in today’s political and social climate.
Biden stated: “Being a police officer today is a lot more difficult than it has ever been,” alluding to rising crime in some of America’s largest cities during his term as president.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 73 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2021, 24 of which were murdered without cause. 27 more cops died in 2021 than in 2020.
Despite his long history of praising radical anti-police organizations like Black Lives Matter, the president attempted to sympathize with police officers.
“It’s a different world,” Biden said. “The work has changed considerably in recent years. We have higher expectations of everyone of you.”
“The idea that cops must now be psychiatrists, mental health counselors, and drug counselors is absurd to me,” he claimed. “Too frequently, police are figuratively and literally caught in the crossfire.”
Biden recognized the positive role police organizations have played in police reform, but he called for more action on the issue.
“We haven’t gotten there yet,” he added. “We have to get there to build public confidence in public safety.”
Biden highlighted massive sums of federal cash allocated to communities after the coronavirus pandemic, urging state and local officials to increase law enforcement spending.
“I’m dedicated to remaining your ally as I’ve always been,” he added without stating his 2020 campaign’s position on diverting police department funds.
Biden advised police officers to do more to engage with the communities they patrol during his remarks.
“Not one cop in a cruiser, but two on foot, cops who walk the beat, who are familiar with the neighborhood, and can restore faith and safety.”
Biden accused his predecessor, former President Donald Trump of leaving him with the coronavirus epidemic. Adding that people are still suffering as a result of the virus.
“So many young and old people are in need of assistance because of this epidemic,” he added.
He called for a larger number of government social workers to be employed in order to provide housing, education, drug rehabilitation, and mental health services for communities that can work together with police officers.