Retired police chief weighs in on the importance of police vote in the election, highlighting the tension between 'lawlessness' and 'law and order'.

A retired Illinois police chief predicted that the votes of law enforcement professionals and their families will determine the election, as police officers weigh the potential impact of a Vice President Harris administration on American streets.

Retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel stated in a Zoom interview with Planet Chronicle Digital that in his personal belief, no police officer or family member should support [Harris'] agenda, as it is anti-police.

"Examining her record will reveal her involvement in the Minneapolis Freedom Fund, where she publicized the cause and attracted more funds, despite no evidence of financial contributions. The bonded-out prisoners, who had attacked police officers during the riot, were released due to her efforts."

Weitzel stated that his evaluation of Harris and Trump, the 2024 Democrat and Republican presidential candidates, respectively, is based on their public safety records and their support for law enforcement, rather than typical Republican-vs.-Democrat politics.

Weitzel contended that the police vote could influence the election, pointing out that it comprises approximately 1.5 million individuals when taking into account family members and loved ones.

Weitzel stated that there are over 710,000 full-time police officers in the United States, which increases to over 840,000 when federal law enforcement and specialized agencies, such as colleges and universities, are included. This number represents a significant amount of votes, and most of these law enforcement officers' family members, friends, and acquaintances could also be eligible to vote. Therefore, the total number of votes could be 1.5 million or more.

In 2021, Weitzel retired from the Riverside Police Department, where he had served as chief for 13 years, after a total of 37 years in law enforcement. During his career, he was ambushed and shot in the line of duty in 1987 by Chicago criminals.

Weitzel spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital just after the Democratic National Convention, where Harris was officially nominated for president by high-profile Democrats. Harris highlighted her background in the military and law enforcement as San Francisco's district attorney and California attorney general. However, she did not provide full support for police or first responders.

In her speech on Thursday evening, Harris mentioned "law enforcement" three times, specifically referring to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

In her speech, Harris emphasized the importance of safety and security at the border, having spent decades in law enforcement. She highlighted the successful collaboration between Democrats and conservative Republicans in writing a strong border bill the previous year, which was endorsed by the border patrol. However, she noted that Donald Trump's campaign was hindered by a border deal, leading him to order his allies in Congress to kill the agreement.

Harris' failure to attempt to mend relations with police during her speech was a "huge blunder," as Trump successfully did so by honoring retired fire chief Corey Comperatore in his RNC speech in July.

Last month in Butler, Pennsylvania, during a Trump rally, Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate the 45th president, killing Comperatore and wounding Trump when a bullet grazed his ear.

"During his convention speech, Trump praised Corey, a highly respected former fire chief, who lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect his family from flying bullets. Trump said, "He was a fine man.""

Trump paused to pay his respects to Comperatore's firefighting gear, which was displayed at the convention.

Weitzel argued that Harris' failure to honor first responders in her speech was a mistake, while Trump's "human touch" in honoring Comperatore resonated with those in public safety.

Weitzel stated that Trump honored the firefighter who was killed during his assassination attempt by showing respect for the fire service, which is the same as the respect given to law enforcement in the public safety realm. This human touch and support shown during the RNC for the fire chief who was killed is the reason police are supporting him and have been since his presidency.

The election is a choice between "lawlessness and law and order," according to Weitzel, and he predicts that police support for Trump will grow as the campaign continues into the fall.

The retired police chief stated that the officers he converses with are "worried" about a possible Harris administration, as Democrats across the country demonstrated their opposition to police officers in 2020 by supporting the defunding of the police force amidst widespread protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

The authorities are deeply concerned about the potential impact of a Kamala Harris presidency on police support and public safety. Trump isn't perfect, and nobody is saying everything he does is great. However, from a public safety perspective, the authorities are concerned that if Harris' administration is not supportive of police, it could lead to a significant problem. This includes funding for police agencies, the United States Justice Department, and policies that would be set up nationally, which could be anti-police and anti-police agenda. This could breed lawlessness.

Prior to her election as a senator in 2017, Harris' professional endeavors centered on law enforcement.

In 1990, she began her legal career as a deputy DA in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Later, in the late 1990s, she moved to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office as an assistant DA before joining the San Francisco city attorney's office. In 2004, she ran for San Francisco's top cop and was elected. During her tenure as San Francisco DA, which lasted approximately seven years, she developed a close friendship with then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and interacted with fellow Californian, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

During the 2020 protests, when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak and disrupted daily life for Americans, Harris expressed empathy towards the rioters.

In 2020, during the 2020 campaign, Harris urged people to donate to the @MNFreedomFund on Twitter, which aimed to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.

In June 2020, Harris advocated for the bail fund to assist Black Lives Matter protesters in getting out of jail, but only a small portion of the over $41 million actually helped free rioters, according to subsequent reporting.

Harris' promotion of the bail fund and her failure to prosecute some criminals while serving as San Francisco DA and California attorney general were highlighted by Weitzel.

In 2004, a San Francisco police officer was brutally murdered with an AK-47, and three days after his burial, she announced that she would not seek the death penalty. Despite this, her own Democratic Party in California did not support her decision.

In 2004, a gang member shot and killed 29-year-old San Francisco police officer Isaac Espinoza, and Harris decided not to seek the death penalty against the perpetrator, sparking criticism from fellow Democrats.

At the time of Harris' decision, a Democrat California assemblyman stated that it was evident that local politics had prioritized over the facts of the case and a thorough examination of the circumstances.

According to the New York Post, Espinoza's family members have stated that they will not back Harris in her 2024 presidential bid.

Weitzel urged law enforcement officers and their loved ones to vote for public safety in the upcoming elections, while reflecting on the "lawlessness" that has occurred on American streets since 2020.

"Politicians are promoting lawlessness and disregarding the police, resulting in an increase in assaults on police officers. This is evident in local news and social media accounts."

"A recent study revealed that an American police officer is shot, not killed, in the line of duty every 22 hours. If this trend continues, the number of police officer shootings and deaths by the end of 2024 will surpass any previous record."

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and exclusive interviews from the 2024 campaign trail at our Planet Chronicle Digital election hub.