GOP Assemblyman: Make Attacks on Police as ‘Hate Crimes’

Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) is sponsoring a bill to make attacks on law enforcement a “hate crime” in the State of California.

The proposed law would allow harsher punishment for those found guilty of such attacks.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Obernolte cites increased attacks nationwide on law enforcement this year — 62 up to the present moment, a marked increase over the 38 shot to death last year — as justification for his bill.

Eight officers were killed in July during just two incidents — the attack on Dallas Police and the attack in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both attacks occurred in July.

Obernolte said:

Our police officers put their lives on the line every day and it’s deeply disturbing when they are intentionally targeted because of their chosen profession. This law will send a message to criminals targeting law enforcement officers that their reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated.

The ACLU is pushing back against Obernolte’s legislation, voicing concern that granting adding police officers “hate crime” protection “could dilute the original intention of hate crime measures.”

Kevin Baker, legislative director with the ACLU of California’s Center for Advocacy and Policy, said:

Our hate crime statute is simply not the proper home for these offenses. Peace officer status is an employment category not analogous to the personal characteristics included in our hate crime statute, including disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

Some argue against any “hate crime” designations, for any crimes, on the grounds that additional measurements of intent  invite the government to evaluate the private thoughts of individuals

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.