BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), author of both the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (S. 2168) and the Blue Alert Act (P.L. 114-12), issued the following statement on the violent, targeted attack on law enforcement officers in Dallas, Texas.
“Right now, Americans, citizens of a country boldly built on the rule of law, are joining the people of Dallas in mourning a horrible attack on law enforcement. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and their community. What happened last night, the most police killed at once since 9/11, will be seared into our collective memories as an attack on our civilized society. Moments prior, police were mingled together with peaceful protesters as men, women and children gathered together to freely exercise their rights and voice their opinions – their frustrations – as Americans.
“In the coming days, there will be a national discussion on what happened, why it happened and how it could have been prevented. My hope is that the best traditions of American discourse and democracy will guide the way and we will base our discussions on the simple facts that law enforcement does best when trusted by the communities they serve, and that communities thrive when the law enforcement protecting them have empathy and understanding for members of the community.
“Law enforcement officers across America have uniquely difficult and dangerous jobs. Nothing justifies the heinous attack in Dallas. The one thing that remains constant among all Americans is that efforts to debase our hard fought way of life must only serve to make us stronger.”
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