Safeguarding Our Protectors: A Community Responsibility

Privileged to share remarks today to the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (BCPCA) on America's Culture of Violence titled Safeguarding Our Protectors: A Community Responsibility.

The remarks highlighted statistics from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on the disturbing acceleration of violence against police nationwide:

In 2021, 84 officers died from felonious assaults including 61 officers who were killed by firearms. The 61 officers killed feloniously by firearms represents a 36% increase over the 45 officers killed feloniously by firearms in 2020.

The leading circumstance of firearms fatalities were officers killed in ambush-style attacks. A total of 19 officers were killed in ambush attacks in 2021, a significant increase over only 6 such attacks in 2020.

Protecting our communities is a shared responsibility. The police and the community are one and inseparable, and we must be fully dedicated, without compromise, to protecting one another.

It has been my honor to be the liaison for the BCPCA for issues covering ethical leadership, violence prevention, and public safety for the last 20 years.  During this time, I have shared remarks at monthly meetings, and have also served Bergen County with many initiatives on issues including school violence, workplace violence, terrorism, domestic violence, community policing and ethical policing.

BCPCA MISSION STATEMENT: To secure a closer official and personal relationship among police officials in the County of Bergen; to secure unity of action in police matters; to elevate the standards of police institutions; to strive for advancement among all lines that pertain to the prevention and to the detection of crime and the promotion of police efficiency in general.

Related Links:

Violence Prevention: Securing Our Public Spaces and Schools

Character: The Preventive System of Education

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He is co-founder of Global Security Resolutions, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy families of victims.  He has authored 17 cover stories for The Chief of Police.

For twenty years, Vincent has been a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer.  He is also a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor. 

For more information see www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove

Note Well: This article was published in The Chief of Police, Spring 2022, Volume XL

PHOTOS

1. NYPD Funeral, Fifth Avenue at Saint Patrick's Cathedral (Courtesy NYPD)

2. The Chief of Police, Spring 2022, Volume XL, distributed hard copy by the National Association of Chiefs of Police to police chiefs and law enforcement executives nationwide.