Legislation makes targeted killing of police a hate crime

Congressman Ken Buck has introduced H.R. 4760, the Blue Lives Matter Act of 2016. This legislation extends greater protections to police officers by expanding the federal hate crime statute to include law enforcement.

As a prosecutor, Congressman Buck charged individuals for committing egregious hate crimes. These laws protect people who are wrongly targeted for acts of violence and terror solely based on their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. The Blue Lives Matter Act extends this protection to individuals targeted for acts of violence and terror because they’re police officers.

“Despite the risk, our law enforcement officers put on their uniform every day so that they can serve our communities,” Congressman Ken Buck stated. “Whether based on skin color or uniform color, a crime motivated by hate is not going to be tolerated in America. By adding law enforcement to the federal hate crime statute, we can protect those who protect us.”

The killing of individuals due to their inherent characteristics or closely held behaviors and beliefs causes significant emotional harm to the targeted communities and can result in societal discord. Law enforcement officers hold the fabric of American communities together, protecting people from crimes, serving those in need, and setting standards of conduct. Those who would create a climate of intimidation by committing crimes of hate against law enforcement must be held accountable for their evil actions.