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U.S. NEWS Saturday 27 May 2017
New ‘Blue Lives Matter’ laws raise concerns among activists

Rouge, Louisiana, 10 days der. His sentence could
later. Penalty enhance- have been doubled under
ments have passed this a law signed this month.
year in Arizona, Arkansas, Troy Huser, president of
Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, the Kansas Association
Mississippi, Missouri, Ne- of Criminal Defense Law-
vada, North Dakota, Okla- yers, called the measure a
homa, Tennessee, Utah “knee-jerk response” to the
and West Virginia, most of attacks in Dallas and Baton
which are led by Repub- Rouge. “If you double that
licans. Similar bills are un- sentence, in my opinion,
der consideration in other it becomes draconian,”
states. Kansas Attorney Huser said. Some civil rights
General Derek Schmidt activists contend such laws
cited the case of Bradley will make it more difficult
Verstraete as one exam- to prosecute officers and
ple of the need for such easier to charge protesters
measures. Verstraete was who confront police. They
accused of raising an ax say such measures could
handle against police offi- undermine the Black Lives
cers responding to a distur- Matter movement that
In this July 12, 2016 photo, a member of the Dallas Police Choir passes the portraits of five fallen bance call in 2015. Police grew out of the 2014 killing
officers prior to a memorial service at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. More shot and wounded him. of Michael Brown in Fer-
than a dozen states this year have passed “Blue Lives Matter” laws that come down even harder Verstraete was sentenced guson, Missouri, and other
on crimes against law enforcement officers. The new laws came in reaction to a spike in deadly in February to 8½ years in shootings by police around
attacks on police last year. Some civil rights activists fear the measures could set back police- prison for attempted mur-
community relations. the country.q
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
By JIM SALTER People who have been
DAVID A. LIEB protesting aggressive po-
Associated Press lice tactics are expressing
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) alarm.
— Following a spike in “This is another form of
deadly attacks on police, heightened repression of
more than a dozen states activists,” said Zaki Baruti,
have responded this year an activist and commu-
with “Blue Lives Matter” nity organizer from St. Louis
laws that come down even County. “It sends a mes-
harder on crimes against sage to protesters that we
law enforcement officers, better not look at police
raising concern among cross-eyed.”
some civil rights activists of Police deaths on the job
a potential setback in po- have generally declined
lice-community relations. over the past four decades,
The new measures build from a recent high of 280 in
upon existing statutes al- 1974 to a low of 116 in 2013,
lowing harsher sentences according to the National
for people who kill or as- Law Enforcement Officers
sault police. They impose Memorial Fund. But they
even tougher penalties, rose last year to 143, includ-
extend them to more of- ing 21 killed in ambushes —
fenses, including certain the highest number of such
nonviolent ones such as attacks in more than two
trespassing in Missouri, and decades.
broaden the list of victims Nearly all states already
covered to include off-du- have laws enhancing the
ty officers, police relatives punishments for certain
and some civilians at law violent crimes against law
enforcement agencies. officers. One year ago,
Proponents say an escala- Louisiana became the first
tion of violence against po- state to enact a law add-
lice justifies the heightened ing offenses against police,
protections. firefighters and emergency
“What we’re getting into as medical responders to its
a society is that people are list of hate crimes.
targeting police officers More states began ex-
not by something that they panding their penalties af-
may have done to them, ter last summer, when five
but just because they’re officers were killed in a July
wearing that uniform,” 7 sniper attack at a protest
said Republican state Rep. against police brutality in
Shawn Rhoads of Missouri, Dallas, and three more of-
a former detective. ficers were slain in Baton