by oldedude on July 5, 2021 5:19 pm
That's an interesting question, especially from a constitutional point of view.
Are they really telling cities how to spend their money? As I understand it, Biden's Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS intends to send many $millions to cities for new “community policing” officers on the street. Bush, I believe, gave police department surplus military gear and vehicles.
Since presidents, including this one, are blamed by the other party if crime rates go up, it's only fair that the presidents be able to use the federal government to address the problem.
Nothing you posted talked about the federal government telling another jurisdiction how to spend their money. Things are "offered" to jurisdictions sometimes in grants, sometimes in other ways. There is a huge difference between a jurisdiction applying for the federal money and the feds telling them how to spend their money.
COPS was a pretty good idea but is now an old idea that has been over run by better means of policing. It's also more expensive to the jurisdiction. The "military" hardware was a boom for Police Depts because especially in larger cities, the departments are outgunned by the gangs. These were done generally by grants to the departments.
by Curt Anderson on July 8, 2021 4:34 pm
"Twice-impeached Florida retiree – and de facto leader of the Republican Party – Donald Trump joined House Republicans today in disrespecting the Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers, who valiantly defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, decrying how rioters ‘are being treated unbelievably unfairly’ now that they are facing legal consequences for their actions," Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that was posted to her office’s website. "Like Donald, House Republicans have shown time and time again that they stand with traitors – not with our law enforcement."