There are fears that the latest attack on police, which happened this week in Houston, will hurt department's ability to recruit new officers, Newsradio 1200 WOAI reports.
"There was a time when people were somewhat fearful of shooting a police officer or striking a police officer and that fear seems to be decreasing," Dr. Alex del Carmen, head of the Tarleton School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Strategic Studies in Ft. Worth says.
On Monday, a group of about a dozen officers with the Houston Police's narcotics unit raided what they suspected was a hub for drug dealing, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at the scene.
"They announced themselves as police at the time. Immediately upon reaching the door, the officers came under fire from one or two suspects."
One suspect, according to the police chief, momentarily retreated into the home and then returned to the front of the location to resume shooting.
When the gunfire ended, five police officers were injured and two suspects were found dead.
The attack brought swift rebuke from lawmakers, who supported the police action.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said on the Senate floor that this type of attack against law enforcement is unconscionable and unacceptable.
"So today with a heavy heart, I want to thank the Houston Police Department and law enforcement officers across the country who put on the uniform each morning never knowing what the day might bring. We're incredibly grateful for their service and the tremendous sacrifices they make."
But it's that type of worry that del Carmen fears will keep good people out of the police profession. So far, more than one dozen cops have been killed in 2019, and it's still the first month of the year.
"And so it's very concerning to us that (police shootings) are on an upward trend."