Show I j Assaulting Police By JOHN EDGAR HOOVER Director It is late at night A police cruiser occupied by two officers officers of of- speeds along the residential residential resi resi- streets in answer to an emergency call THE TilE DRIVER brakes the car to a quick stop in front of the address and his partner partner partner part part- ner alights and starts moving toward the front door of the dark house Suddenly a shot cracks the stillness and the driver sees his partner crumple to the sidewalk mortally wounded by the bullet HE DASHES to th the side of the fallen officer drags him to the cruiser and radios for help The above incident is fiction but it is representative of much of the felonious criminal criminal crim crim- inal action confronting law enforcement officers in in our country today IN 1969 a record high of 86 law enforcement officers were murdered a 34 percent increase over 1968 when b w officers were slain For the years 1960 through 1969 law enforcement officers were killed by criminals As in the past firearms were used in virtually all of the police killings last year Of the 86 officers slain all but three died from gunfire and handguns were used to commit 81 percent of the murders by gun DURING THE 78 percent percent percent per per- cent of the weapons used in police killings were handguns The tragic total of policemen policemen policemen police police- men men slain slam last year brings out two crucial points that all officers should remember 1 COMPLACENCY i i is s most dangerous and 2 there is no such thing as a routine routine routine rou tine arrest Twenty five of the 86 officers were killed while attempting to make arrests arrests arrests ar ar- ar- ar rests and 13 others were slain by their own weapons which were seized and used against them The sharp increase in the number of officers slain comes as no surprise to members of law enforcement THE LACK OF respect for forthe forthe forthe the law and the contempt for forand forand forand and abuse of persons in positions positions positions of authority have kept p pace ce with the climbing crime rate Thus the role of the policeman policeman police police- policeman man becomes increasingly dan dan- The rate of assaults on police in 1969 rose seven percent over the 1968 figure And since 1962 assaults on police officers have increased percent THE LAW enforcement officer officer of of- today bears a heavier burden faces more frustrations and is second-guessed second more than ever before 4 The public asks more and expects more of the present- present day policeman because the public need for protection is greater WHEN WilEN A policeman is assaulted assaulted assaulted as as- or slain the criminal significance of the incident extends far beyond the victim officer It extends to the door of every law-abiding law citizen The price ot of enforcing the law is costly Perhaps no one knows just how costly except except except ex ex- ex- ex the slain policeman's family family family fam fam- ily and his fellow officers who stand at rigid attention by his graves graveside ide and hear the echoing volleys of the farewell salute and the fading strains of taps ONLY AN aroused citizenry and swift and certain p punish punish- h- h ment by the courts can reduce felonious acts against police When a law enforcement officer officer officer of of- of- of dies at the hands of a killer part of our system of law dies with him |