Defunding police, vilifying them 'at every turn' contributing to officer suicides, experts say

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

42% : "The suicides and the current climate go hand in hand," Roy said, explaining that police officers are no longer viewed like they were in Norman Rockwell's iconic 1958 "The Runaway," the painting of a young boy and a police officer that has become synonymous with the "protect and serve" aspect of law enforcement.
37% : Last year, 136 members of law enforcement committed suicide.
35% : Police morale in Austin is as bad as it has ever been, Farris said, and staffing shortages related to the city council's move in August 2020 to slash the police budget by $150 million has caused major problems.
34% : MCCLOSKEYEarlier this year, progressive Austin District Attorney Jose Garza indicted 19 police officers for their actions in quelling a riot stemming from a Black Lives Matter protest.
12% :Farris pointed to statements made by former President Obama condemning Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson and promoting the false narrative of "hands up don't shoot" in 2014, as well as President Biden accusing Border Patrol agents of using "whips" against illegal immigrants as examples of law enforcement being unfairly demonized.

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