One of the nation’s top police unions called Monday for Congress to add violence against police officers to federal hate crime laws.
The move comes as police officers are feelingly increasingly scrutinized after high-profile shootings of African-Americans and last month’s killing of two New York City police officers.
“My thoughts and prayers over the past few weeks have been with the families of officers who were, with malice and forethought, gunned down just because they served as police officers,” Chuck Canterbury, president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement. “Enough is enough! It’s time for Congress to do something to protect the men and women who protect us.”
The union has advocated for the position in the past, it said, but is renewing its push after the recent killings.
The policy would increase penalties for those convicted of crimes if they “select their victims because they are or are perceived to be police officers,” according to the union.