Gov. Larry Hogan: Fight crime and support police – 3 key ways to make communities safer, back law enforcement

In 2015, in a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, President Obama warned not to let police get "scapegoated for broader failures of our society and our criminal-justice system." Unfortunately, over the last few years, far too many – especially in his own party – have sought to do exactly that.

These types of ridiculous bills aren’t just limited to Maryland. They’re part of a disturbing national trend of politicians interfering with the indispensable work of police officers.   We can reverse the tide of rising crime, but we can’t do it if we’re attacking the men and women who are working to keep us safe.   As elected officials, our most important job is keeping the people we serve safe, and we all depend on the brave men and women of law enforcement to do it. But, instead of thanking them for their service, politicians are often using the police as a convenient punching bag for political agendas.