Police agencies from as far away as Hawaii and New York have gathered in San Antonio to come up with a plan to deal with the disturbing rise in police assaults in the last several years, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Paul Kelly of the United Coalition of Public Safety (U-COPS) says the problem is a serious one.
"Between 2014 to 2018, the number of officers who have been injured due to assaults has risen 30%," he said.
The police organizations produced a television PSA to raise attention to the problem among the public, and Kelly says the group also announced their complete support for Sen. John Cornyn's 'Back the Blue Act.'
Kelly says it would make killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a federal judge, federal law enforcement officer, or local police officer a federal offense.
"It ensures there are tough penalties for attacking police officers and federal officials because of the job that they do."
He says the bill includes a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years if the officer is killed, and 10 years in other assault cases.
The offender would also be subject to the death penalty.
It also creates a federal crime for interstate flight to avoid prosecution for killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a police officer.
"This bill makes sure the gamle for attacking a police officer just isn't worth it by providing for strong penalties for anyone who attacks an officer," said Det. Mike Helle, the President of the San Antonio Police Officers Association.
Kelly says the rise in assaults on officers, from 13,654 officers nationwide who suffered injuries or death at the hands of assailants to more than 18,000 officers last year, is a threat to all of our communities as well as a threat to officers.
He says it is important to make attacking a police officer a federal offense because occasionally, local prosecutors are intimidated by local anti police groups and occasionally will dismiss charges againt the person who attacked the officer.
He told of one officer who was left exposed to a multi million dollar lawsuit judgement in favor of the man who had shot him, after a prosecutor dropped charges against the perpetrator.