I
n the wake of terrible tragedies that saw five Dallas police officers shot to death and three Baton Rouge officers meet the same fate, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided to do something about it.
On Monday, Abbott announced a proposal for stricter penalties against those who harm police officers.
Under the Police Protection Act, crimes against police officers motivated by bias against law enforcement would be classified as hate crimes. And any crime against a law enforcement officer, even those that do not fall under the hate crime standard, would be prosecuted as a higher offense with increased penalties.
In an example given by the governor's office, right now an assault on a public servant is a third-degree felony, carrying a prison term of up to 10 years. Under the Police Protection Act, the crime would be prosecuted as a second-degree felony, doubling the maximum sentence to 20 years,
Abbott said he hopes the Legislature approves his proposal in next year's session.
"At a time when law enforcement officers increasingly come under assault simply because of the job they hold, Texas must send a resolute message that the state will stand by the men and women who serve and protect our communities," Abbott said in a prepared statement.
We imagine it will be an easy sell. Law enforcement agencies across the state have voiced support.
Some lawmakers worry the proposal could open current hate crime legislation to legal challenges as police officers are targeted for the their profession, not because of more commonly accepted protections such as gender, race and religion.
That's something the Attorney General's office should study and the Legislature should consider.
But there is no doubt that crimes against the police, whatever the motivation, should carry very harsh punishment.