The House of Representatives Passed the Controversial Protect and Serve Act
The bill would heighten criminal punishments for attacks on police; it passed by a vote of 382 to 35.
By Linley Sanders
NurPhoto
The U.S. House or Representatives voted on Wednesday, May 16, to pass the Protect and Serve Act of 2018 by a vote of 382 to 35, according to USA Today. The bill enhances the federal punishments for crimes against police officers and has been sharply criticized by civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and Human Rights Watch, as a "political response" to the growing national movement for police accountability as law enforcement brutality against unarmed black Americans continues.
As video documentation of police brutality increases, human rights critics of the legislation argue that it is a "disconnected and non-responsive" policy choice that flies in the face of "grassroots movements that demand fair and constitutional policing." Here's everything you need to know about the proposal, which was approved on Wednesday:
What is the Protect and Serve Act of 2018?
The Protect and Serve Act of 2018 is designed to heighten federal punishments for people who knowingly attempt to cause "serious bodily injury" to a cop or individual who is perceived as a law enforcement officer. The bill was introduced by Republican John Rutherford of Florida in the House of Representatives, and it is mirrored by a bipartisan bill in the Senate.
The law would allow anyone who knowingly causes serious bodily injury to a law enforcement officer (or anyone perceived to be an officer) to be imprisoned up to 10 years. If a police officer were kidnapped, killed, or faced a threat on their life, then this bill would create a penalty of jail time for any number of years, including a life sentence.
As The Root reported, the Senate version of the bill would also elevate law enforcement officers to the status of a "protected class," a designation usually reserved for marginalized groups, like people of color and LGBTQ+ people. If passed, this version could mean attacks on police would constitute hate crimes in the eyes of the law. According to a policy analysis from BuzzFeed News, injuring or killing a police officer is already a crime with enhanced penalties in every state.
However, the issue appears to be picking up steam for Republicans. Incumbent Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, who faces a staunch challenge in November, recently advocated for the reinstatement of his state's death penalty for mass murders and anyone who kills a member of law enforcement, according to Chicago's ABC 7. President Donald Trump addressed the issue in 2017 during a speech at the FBI National Academy, calling for the death penalty for anyone who kills a cop, according to PBS NewsHour.
So what does the bill accomplish?
Critics argue it's an unnecessary reinforcement of existing laws and would unnecessarily create the equivalent of hate-crime protections for law enforcement officers.
Proponents disagree, of course. Republican senator Orrin Hatch, a cosponsor of the Senate bill, said in a statement that no law enforcement officer signs up for being "violently ambushed simply for being a police officer" and the law is needed to deter "heinous, cowardly assaults" on the "not just law enforcement, but on the rule of law."
In debate on the House floor, Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) argued in favor of the bill, noting that 21 officers were killed in the first 17 weeks of 2018. (Data collected by The Washington Post indicates that 356 people were shot and killed by police in the same span; at least 17 of them were unarmed, and 10 were armed with toy weapons.)
The language reinforces controversial "Blue Lives Matter" legislation that at least 14 states introduced in 2017 to make police officers a protected class against hate crimes, according to an analysis by HuffPost. Most of those bills did not succeed, but the the Protect and Serve Act of 2018 could serve as a federal substitute.
"Our bipartisan bill would make clear that attacks against law enforcement officers based on their role to protect and serve the community will be met with harsh penalties, and that these crimes will be elevated and prioritized," said Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) in a statement.
Why is the Protect and Serve Act facing criticism?
In a letter to representatives on Monday, a coalition of lobbyists urged the House to reject the bill. The coalition, which also includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that "rather than focusing on policies that address issues of police excessive force, biased policing, and other police practices that have failed these communities, the Protect and Serve Act's aim is to further criminalize."
The note concluded that "there is no justification for creating a new crime for offenses committed against law enforcement. At a time when we need to foster healing between law enforcement and our communities, we should not be considering legislation which not only does nothing to advance the goal of officer safety, but will further erode the relationship between police and communities."
Get the Teen Vogue Take. Sign up for the Teen Vogue weekly email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: A Milwaukee Cop Punched a Black Teen During an Arrest at a Mall