Police in Atlanta demonstrated the need for civilians to be able to protect themselves last night when a large number of officers allegedly failed to report for overnight shifts. This morning the Atlanta Police Department has disputed the extent of the walkout, telling 11 Alive News that the reports were “inaccurate,” but Atlanta’s mayor said last night that there were insufficient officers to patrol the city.
“We do have enough officers to cover us through the night,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) told CNN. “Our streets won’t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out.”
The officers were reportedly upset over the decisions to fire and prosecute the two officers involved in the death of Rayshard Brooks over the weekend. Brooks’s death reignited protests and violence in the city.
The APD responded to the rumors with a tweet that said there were “a higher than usual number of call outs for the incoming shift” but that the force still enough manpower to “maintain operations and respond to incidents.”
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.
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The possibility of mass walkouts leaving cities without police protection is a logical result of the current leftist war against police. Police forces around the country have been demonized in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The death of Rayshard Brooks is less clear cut than that of Floyd. Brooks, who was intoxicated, resisted arrest and grabbed an officer’s taser before attempting to flee. One of the officers shot and killed Brooks after the fugitive fired the taser at the officers.
Multiple things are true in the case. One is that Brooks should not be dead. The shooting is very questionable based upon Supreme Court guidelines that say suspects can only be shot in the back if they are armed and dangerous. It’s also true that, even if the shooting was bad, Brooks bears some responsibility due to his wildly inappropriate behavior. A third truth is that a murder conviction of the officers would be unlikelay under the circumstances.
It is understandable that other Atlanta officers would be upset about what they see as a political move to indict their fellow cops. This is especially true given the events of the past few weeks in which police have been rhetorically attacked and insulted on top of having to deal with a long string of protests and riots.
Yet the possibility of a police walkout leaves law-abiding citizens in the lurch. Criminals will have a field day if police don’t show up for work. With few police to respond to emergencies, let alone routine duties, citizens must be prepared to protect themselves.
This would not be the first time that police have left citizens in harm’s way. In situations such as the LA riots, Hurricane Katrina, and all over the country for the past few weeks, citizens have been left to their own defense. In Warren v. District of Columbia in 2005, the Supreme Court explicitly ruled that police do not have a constitutional duty to protect private citizens.
The alleged Atlanta police walkout is just one more example of how law-abiding citizens should be ready, willing, and able to defend themselves. But this takes preparation. If you don’t have a gun, you should consider getting one. You should also get training that teaches you how to use it safely.
Originally published on The Resurgent
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