What is the Revolving door? We all know the revolving door as a door that turns in its frame in a 360-degree circular motion when it is used and allows people to go both in and out of a building at the same time. In recent years, the term ‘Revolving Door’ has been applied to policing and how criminals are arrested and released without consequence. This was certainly the case in the recent shooting of a New York City police officer.
Men in Blue Aren’t Safe
On January 18, 2022, New York City police officer Kaseem Pennant, 27, was shot by Camrin Williams, 16, who is an up-and-coming rapper and goes by the stage name C Blu. Officer Pennant, along with other officers, was responding to a disorderly crowd when Williams stepped out of the crowd and shoved his hands in his pockets. He was asked to remove his hands but refused. Williams and Officer Pennant got into a tussling match when Williams’ gun went off striking Williams’ groin before hitting Pennant in the right leg. Luckily, Officer Pennant was released from the hospital the following morning.
However, Williams was on probation from an earlier gun case in 2020. The judge hit Williams with assault and weapon charges and prosecutors asked that Williams be held without bail pending his next court date. But, acting Supreme Court Judge Justice Denis Boyle set Williams bond at $250,000 which Williams immediately posted.
Patrick Lynch, President of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (PBA) released this statement in a recent press release:
“This individual chose to carry illegal guns twice,” Lynch said. “He chose to fight with and shoot a New York City police officer. There’s no reason to believe he won’t do the exact same thing when he’s out on the street tonight.”
“Shame on Judge Denis Boyle for allowing this to happen,” he added. “The people of the Bronx won’t be safe as long as he’s on the bench.”
Our Revolving Door Criminal Justice System
As the progressive movement sweeps across the country more and more criminals use the liberal laws, liberal policies of prosecuting attorneys, ending cash bail and releasing tens of thousands of violent criminals from our jails into our communities.
What we are hearing from the vast majority of police officers in these communities is by the time they complete the paperwork the criminal is already back on the streets, ready to commit additional crimes.
According to preliminary year-end data provided to CNN by the FBI, 73 officers died in felonious killings in the line of duty in 2021. The year marks the highest total recorded by the agency since 1995, excluding the 9/11 attacks. Police officers are human just like everyone else and have spouses, children, mothers, fathers, siblings, etc.. The only difference is that they swore an oath to protect and serve the communities they work in.
When police officers risk their lives to apprehend criminals only to see them go through the revolving door criminal justice system, it is a devastating blow to an officer’s morale. There have been many reports of police officers arresting the same person multiple times for the same offense over and over again only to be released.
Every encounter a police officer has with the public elevates the opportunity the officer can be injured, killed, sued or imprisoned. So, when police officers see the criminals out on the streets hours after being arrested, they say to themselves ‘why even bother?’
The police officers are struggling with enforcing the law and protecting themselves, their families and their communities due to feeling demoralized by the revolving door criminal justice system.
