On National Law Enforcement Day, Let’s Reward Competence and Make It Great Again Across the System – RedState

Monday, February 9 was National Law Enforcement Day, and many of us are grateful to the law enforcement officers and other essential personnel who serve and protect our communities and our nation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the US Border Patrol, are currently in the news due to the attacks, hatred and vitriol they receive. But for several years, from the local sheriff to the district attorney’s office, many sectors of law enforcement have been weakened in their ability to do what they do best: enforce the law and keep us safe. This has become especially pronounced in blue cities and counties, because criminal justice is less about preventing crime and punishing criminals and more about introducing policies and policies that erode justice and reward illegality.

This plays out horribly. The senseless murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska last August in North Carolina, allegedly committed by a perpetrator who has been arrested and released 14 times, is just one example. This is no way to maintain the structure of a community or give people the stability and security we expect and deserve.

Today we celebrate National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day!

Thank you for the daily contributions of our law enforcement officers who enhance public safety, build public trust, and advance the Department’s mission! pic.twitter.com/RPvzE9kReE

– Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) January 9, 2026

Therein lies the problem with modern law enforcement: it embodies ambience, optics, and a false goal of fairness and compassion, but does virtually nothing in these areas, while failing to actually enforce the law or protect citizens. On the contrary, it creates greater harm. One of the tragic lessons we learn from the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping saga is that when the stakes are low, you want law enforcement to be able to get the job done, not just go through the motions and look good and sound good while doing it.

Dive Deeper: Disturbing allegations against Roy Cooper linked to Zarutska affair rock North Carolina Senate race

New: Savannah Guthrie calls for help as investigation expands to sister Annie’s home

Law enforcement enforces the rule of law, protects lives and property, and maintains public order. Without it, communities face instability, increased crime and a loss of trust, making it impossible to maintain safety, justice and accountability. We should say THANK YOU! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

– ChefGenX (@ChiefGenX) February 6, 2026

Unfortunately, the staff at the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office don’t even seem good at doing what they do. This was clearly highlighted in a December recruiting video.

It would be laughable if it weren’t so terrible.

WATCH:

Besides the lack of physical fitness of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office personnel, the other telling aspect is the fact that there are no men in this video. Granted, the Sheriff’s Office is not the primary police department in the city of Philadelphia: that would be the Philadelphia Police Department, staffed by men and women at least physically equipped for their specific task.

But does the sheriff’s department believe that only women are fit to serve as bailiffs, transport prisoners, or issue summonses and subpoenas? These aspects of law enforcement always carry an inherent potential for unexpected and real danger. So it would benefit the women and men who do this work to not only be physically fit, but also be properly trained in situational awareness and rapid response – not social justice chants and clowning on camera. Cases in recent years where bailiffs saved the lives of a jury foreman in San Diego and a judge in St. Louis have everything to do with the knowledgeable, competent and direct responses of these court officers. So, it’s important.

However, the first thing you see when you log on to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Department’s website are photos of Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and the messages: “We can build a better, fairer Philadelphia” and “Justice, Compassion and Equal Opportunity.” What does this have to do with serving the people of Philadelphia, let alone protecting or enforcing the laws? This certainly does not inspire any form of confidence, regardless of their role in the justice system.

Learn more: Philadelphia’s police commissioner sets the record straight on who sets police policy in the city

DOJ has spicy reaction after Soros-backed Philly DA threatens to arrest ICE

This may also explain why this department and its leaders are vehemently anti-ICE. Regardless of your opinion on the subject of immigration enforcement, what we see behind the enforcement done by ICE and Border Patrol is focus, focus, skill, and training.

Most Americans respect competence, especially when it comes to safety and security. Explosive, incendiary language like that of the Philadelphia sheriff and district attorney and cries of “Yazzz Queen” do none of that. I don’t want to see a law enforcement officer making dance videos any more than I want to see doctors and nurses. The extent of the lack of seriousness in such presentations makes one wonder whether these people are equipped or competent at their jobs, or whether dancing in front of the camera is their way of covering 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 idea of ​​the chain of command, or maybe they just don’t care. During a recent round of questioning, Democrat Garry L. McFadden, sheriff of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, could not correctly answer what the three branches of government were and which branch his department reported to.

WATCH:

🚨HOLY SHIT!!!

Democratic Charlotte NC Sheriff Gary McFadden was simply unable to answer:

a) What are the 3 branches of government.
b) In which sector he works.

It’s truly painful to watch…completely shocking. pic.twitter.com/PRIAkvFxCw

–Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) February 9, 2026

From the police chief to the sheriff, deputies and clerks, Americans desperately want and need individuals who are focused on fighting crime, protecting citizens, and presenting a competent and professional show of force. This is happening in Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina, right?

Many leaders and rank-and-file members of law enforcement continue to be a tribute and asset to their cities and departments. But some are harassed and lose their jobs or find better prospects moving to greener pastures.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, former Police Chief Eric Winstrom took a lateral position in the city of Pensacola, Florida, and will lead the police department there. After Winstrom left Michigan, he spoke truth to power about what made his job difficult and that any city that wants to thrive must have a thriving police force. Winstrom stated, in part:

So when you politicize policing, that’s a recipe for failure. […] Show me a city across the country, anywhere, that is a successful, successful city, and I will show you a successful, successful police department. These two things go hand in hand, and smart politicians understand that.

WATCH:

WOW: The outgoing police chief just confirmed he’s FRUSTRATED by the anti-cop sentiment here in Grand Rapids.

He specifically calls out city leaders for refusing to see police in a positive light.

“Did I see that here? One hundred percent,” he said. pic.twitter.com/z3jdAr5TO7

– Grand Rapids Businessman (@GR_businessman) February 6, 2026

We are seeing these same political games in Congress, which uses DHS funding as a political football rather than as a serious matter of protection and enforcement for the American people. This must stop.

As the organization Blue Lives Matter states, most law enforcement officers, whether administrative, judicial, corrections or police, only want to help make their community better. Enforcing and respecting the law, training officers to be competent and operational, and rewarding healthy and strong leadership are essential to returning our law enforcement to making community safety a priority, not just an experiment in social justice.

The majority of law enforcement simply want to serve their community. This is the thin blue line that we support. pic.twitter.com/ePwB6Z2zpj

– Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) January 30, 2026

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration to our great country has virtually ceased. Despite the lies of the radical left, no new legislation was needed to secure our border, all it needed was a new president.

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