Policing in blue cities and states has undergone destructive changes in the last five years. The 2020 “Summer of Love,” which involved a lot more arson, looting, and general thuggery than one normally associates with love, combined with “Defund the Police” lunacy—no coincidence—to do enormous damage.

Not only were police officers prevented from doing their jobs, allowing “mostly peaceful protests” to run wild, but they also rapidly discovered that if they arrested members of favored identity groups, the people they arrested wouldn’t be prosecuted. Worse, it was likely the arresting officers would be disciplined, even arrested and prosecuted. Losing their jobs, tiny fortunes and liberty wasn’t worth it. 

Officers who could retire did. Others fled to red states where they were allowed to be police officers. Many quit the profession. Those that remained settled into a pattern of doing as little as possible. Proactive policing all but died as officers avoided the criminals responsible for most crimes, and crime rates went through the roof.

Recruiting became a nightmare. Even in red states, agencies that used to have far more applicants for a small number of openings than they could possibly use found themselves scraping the bottom of the barrel. Even offering generous signing bonuses didn’t help much. In blue states and cities, it was necessary to dramatically lower qualifications, which, with DEI mandates already in place, meant hiring people they would have disqualified in the earliest phase of the hiring process in the past. 

Many police agencies have long hired candidates who are average, or just below average, in intelligence. That sounds insane but police executives reason that if they hire smart people they’ll quickly become bored and the time and money invested in their training will be lost. Amazingly, courts have upheld this counterintuitive principle.

Graphic: Minneapolis Police Department. Public Domain.

Wildly unqualified people become police officers. Minneapolis, ground (George Floyd) zero in the Summer of Love, has lost 40% of its officers and is struggling to put anyone in a blue suit. Even the vaunted New York City Police Department has lost nearly 6000 officers since 2000, a 14% reduction. On top of that, the NYPD has a self-inflicted personnel problem:

The New York City Police Department recruited over 30 convicted criminals after the department's former top recruitment officer inexplicably ignored their sketchy records. The New York Post reported last week that NYPD Inspector Terrell Anderson, who oversaw candidate screenings, allegedly ignored the checkered pasts of the new hires, according to court filings.

Those “sketchy records” included 31 people who failed psychological screening and background checks. Many were convicted criminals, including drug users, people who solicited prostitutes and serial traffic violators. This is unheard of in police hiring:

One female recruit who failed her psychological exam after she "openly discussed arguments and conflicts with other people in a boastful manner," and even threatened the NYPD psychiatrist who questioned her, was passed through by Anderson.

Anderson accused NYPD management of pressuring him to hire and keep unqualified recruits, noting NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch relaxed recruiting standards to fill the ranks.

NYPD recruitment numbers have been lagging in recent years due to a surge in early retirements and increasing demoralization in the ranks, as New York's Democrat political establishment promoted 'woke' soft-on-crime policies.

According to the New York Post, Anderson allowed 70 people who failed psychological screening into the NYPD ranks. The NYPD tried to fire the people who should never have been hired in the first place, but this is New York City and the police union is defending the unqualified and dangerous:  

“These police officers aren’t responsible for the NYPD’s broken hiring process,” [Union President Patrick] Hendry said before the temporary order was issued. “As far as they know, they were qualified to be New York City police officers, because the NYPD hired and trained them.” [skip]

“We are exploring all legal options to protect our members’ rights and hold the NYPD accountable for this complete management failure.”

Unsurprisingly, a state court judge has blocked the NYPD from removing the affected officers. Because it’s New York State, it’s possible these unqualified, potentially dangerous, officers will be allowed to remain on the force despite, as the NYPD claims, state law preventing it.

Police agencies can hire officers of below-average intelligence. It now appears they may be required to hire and retain the psychologically and criminally disqualified. It’s certainly a self-inflicted wound.

Blue, and to a lesser degree, red states get the politicians and police they deserve. Blue states just seem happy and smug about it.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.