Sessions’ ‘Thin Blue Line Act’ would enforce harsher penalties on criminals targeting cops

WASHINGTON — Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has partnered with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to introduce the Thin Blue Line Act, which would enforce harsher penalties on individuals targeting police officers and first responders. Sessions worked closely with federal, state and local law enforcement officials for years as Alabama Attorney General and before that as a U.S. Attorney.

The senators first introduced the legislation in response to the surge of attacks on police officers, which have occurred in various cities around the country.

In one local example last August, an Alabama cop was pistol-whipped with his own gun. Instead of lending a helping hand, a crowd of bystanders posted photos on Facebook and Twitter that included some anti-police captions. Later, the officer said he didn’t try to shoot his attacker because he didn’t want the media to label him as a racist.

This week, the latest acts of violence against police officers occurred in Dallas, Texas, where snipers killed and wounded multiple law enforcement officers as they protected an otherwise peaceful protest.

“The alarming spike in violence directed against the men and women entrusted with ensuring the safety and order of our society must be stopped,” Sen. Sessions said last year after introducing his bill. “The Thin Blue Line Act will help protect our officers by bringing harsher penalties to criminals committing these vile acts and by extending the protections afforded to federal officers to our local police and first responders. This legislation honors the message sent by law-abiding Americans that we cannot stand idly by as attacks are waged upon those who serve and protect our communities.”

The law currently states that if a murder victim was a federal law enforcement officer or prosecutor, that distinction will be considered an “aggravating factor” that weighs in favor of the death penalty. The Thin Blue Line Act would expand this to also include local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and firefighters.

The bill would also strengthen the penalty when a defendant targets a police officer, prosecutor, or firefighter.

“Our law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and firefighters deserve to know that their lives also matter, and they have our support,” Sen. Toomey said of the bill. “Those who would murder a person simply because he or she wears blue deserve a harsh penalty. This legislation seeks to achieve those ends.”