Heh. Heh. Heh.
A day after Attorney General John Ashcroft told the nation's largest association of law enforcement executives that the Bush administration had made the nation more secure from terrorist attacks and violent criminals, the group lashed back at the White House on Tuesday.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) said that cuts by the administration in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever to public safety threats. The 20,000-member group also said in a statement that new anti-terrorism duties for local cops -- which have come as state and local budgets have declined and historically low crime rates have crept upward -- have pushed police agencies to "the breaking point."
The statement reflected the ongoing tension between the administration and many local police chiefs, who believe the White House has saddled them with anti-terrorism tasks without much regard to the cost.
I suppose it doesn't matter much, ultimately. It's not as if these police chiefs have a great deal of ability to influence administration policy. Still, it's interesting to see the variety of people taking issue with Ashcroft's repeated statements, as he exists stage far right, that the nation is safer in various ways today than it has been in recent years.
Posted by iain at November 17, 2004 04:36 PM
