On Nationwide Legislation Enforcement Day, Let’s Reward Competence and Make It Nice Once more Throughout the System
Monday, February 9, was National Law Enforcement Day, and many of us are thankful for the law enforcement officers and other critical personnel who serve and protect our communities as well as our nation.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as U.S. Border Patrol, are currently in the news cycle for the attacks, hatred, and vitriol lodged against them. But for a number of years, from the local sheriff to the district attorney’s office, many sectors of law enforcement have been undermined in their ability to do what they do best: uphold the law and keep us safe. It has become particularly pronounced in blue cities and counties, as criminal justice has become less about preventing crime and punishing criminals and more about injecting politics and policies that erode justice and reward illegality.
This is playing out in horrific ways. The senseless murder last August in North Carolina of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, allegedly by a perpetrator who was arrested and released 14 times, is but one of too many examples. This is no way to maintain the structure of a community or give people the stability and safety that we expect and deserve.
Today, we celebrate National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day!
Thank you to the daily contributions of our law enforcement officers who strengthen public safety, build public trust and advance the mission of the Department! pic.twitter.com/RPvzE9kReE
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) January 9, 2026
This is the locus of the problem of modern law enforcement: it stands for vibes, optics, and some false goal of equity and compassion, yet does little to nothing in those areas, while failing to actually enforce the law or protect citizens. If anything, it creates greater harm. One of the tragic lessons we are gleaning from the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping saga is that when the chips are down, you want law enforcement who are capable of getting the job done, not just going through the motions and looking and sounding good while doing it.
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Law enforcement upholds the rule of law, protects lives and property, and maintains public order. Without it, communities face instability, increased crime, and loss of trust,making safety, justice, and accountability impossible to sustain. We should be saying THANK YOU! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
— ChiefGenX (@ChiefGenX) February 6, 2026
Sadly, the staff of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office does not even look good at doing whatever it is they do. This was glaringly highlighted in a December recruitment video.
It would be laughable if it weren’t so terrible.
WATCH:
Aside from the lack of physical fitness among the staff of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, the other telling optic is the fact that there are no men in this video. Granted, the Sheriff’s office is not the primary police enforcement of the city of Philadelphia: that would be the Philadelphia Police Department, which is staffed with men and women who are at least physically equipped for their specific task.
But does the Sheriff’s Department believe that only women are fit for the roles of court bailiff, prisoner transport, or issuing summons and subpoenas? These aspects of law enforcement still have an inherent potential for the unexpected and real danger, so it would benefit the women and the men who are doing the job to not only be physically fit, but also properly trained in situational awareness and rapid response – not training in social justice chants and clowning for the camera. Instances in recent years of bailiffs saving the lives of a jury foreman in San Diego and a judge in St. Louis had everything to do with the knowledgeable, competent, and direct responses of these officers of the court. So, it matters.
However, the first thing you see when you log onto the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Department website is pictures of Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and the messages: “We can build a better, more just Philadelphia,” and “Equal Justice, Compassion and Opportunity.” What the heck does that have to do with service to the people of Philadelphia, let alone protection or enforcement? It certainly doesn’t instill any form of confidence, no matter what their role in the justice system may be.
Read More: Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sets the Record Straight on Who Sets Policing Policy in the City
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This may also explain why this department and its leaders are virulently anti-ICE. However you feel about the subject of immigration enforcement, what we witness behind the enforcement done by ICE and Border Patrol is focus, purpose, skill, and training.
Most Americans respect competence, especially when it comes to safety and security. Bombastic and inflammatory language like that coming from the Philadelphia Sheriff and district attorney and “Yazzz Queen” shout-outs engender none of this. I don’t want to see any law enforcement officer doing dancing videos any more than I want to see doctors and nurses doing them. The depth of unseriousness in such presentations makes one question whether these people are equipped or competent at their job, or whether dancing for the camera is their way to cover up the fact that they are not.
Yet it goes beyond Philadelphia. We have people at the highest levels of law enforcement leadership who have no concept of the chain of command, or maybe they just don’t care. In a recent round of questioning, Democrat Garry L. McFadden, the Sheriff of Mecklenburg County, NC, could not correctly answer what the three branches of government were and which branch his department fell under.
WATCH:
🚨HOLY CRAP!!!
The Democrat Sheriff of Charlotte NC, Gary McFadden, was just completely unable to answer:
a) What the 3 branches of government are.
b) Which branch he serves under.This is genuinely painful to watch… completely shocking. pic.twitter.com/PRIAkvFxCw
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) February 9, 2026
From the chief of police to the sheriff, to deputies and docket clerks, Americans desperately want and need individuals who are focused on combating crime, protecting citizens, and presenting a competent and professional show of force. What’s happening in Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina, ain’t it.
There are many in law enforcement leadership and rank and file who continue to be a tribute and an asset to their cities and departments. But some are being harassed out of their jobs or find a move to greener pastures a better prospect.
In Grand Rapids, MI, former Police Chief Eric Winstrom took a lateral position in the city of Pensacola, FL, and will helm the police department there. Upon Winstrom’s departure from Michigan, he spoke truth to power on what made his job difficult and how any city that wishes to thrive needs to have a thriving police force. Winstrom said, in part:
So, when you politicize policing, that’s a recipe for failure. […] Show me a city across the country anywhere, that is high-performing, successful city, and I will show you a high-performing, successful police department. Those two go hand-in-hand, and intelligent politicians understand that.
WATCH:
WOW: The departing Police Chief just confirmed he was FRUSTRATED by the anti-cop sentiment here in Grand Rapids.
He specifically calls out city leadership for refusing to see police in a positive light.
“Have I seen that here? One hundred percent,” he said. pic.twitter.com/z3jdAr5TO7
— Grand Rapids Businessman (@GR_businessman) February 6, 2026
We are witnessing these same political games being played out in Congress, as they use DHS funding as a political football rather than a serious matter of protection and enforcement for the American people. This needs to stop.
As the Blue Lives Matter organization affirms, most law enforcement officers, whether administrative, judicial, correctional, or police, only want to be a part of making their communities a better place. Enforcement and adherence to the law, equipping officers to be competent and on task, and rewarding sound and solid leadership are critical to moving our law enforcement back to making the safety of the community a priority, and not just a social justice experiment.
The majority of law enforcement just wants to serve their community. This is the thin blue line we support. pic.twitter.com/ePwB6Z2zpj
— Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) January 30, 2026
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left’s lies, new legislation wasn’t needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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