Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

By Britt Nelson

In the United States of America it’s about time police departments nationwide changed their rules of engagement when dealing with an increasingly dangerous and armed public. 

Police officers are shot responding to domestic violence calls, during ‘routine’ traffic stops, answering reports of ‘shots fired’ and in outright assassinations. This year’s grim statistics report 138 police officers killed in the line of duty with nearly half of them being shot to death, according to the website Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.com).

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned heavily in support of local, state and federal law enforcement officers saying the level of violent crime in America is unacceptable and must be reversed. These things are easy to say, but with tensions between the police and the public on the rise nationwide getting a grip on violent crime, especially in the inner cities, will be one of Trump’s and America’s greatest challenges.

Perhaps police could stop making traffic stops for little stuff like broken tail lights, one headlight, cracked windshield, no seat belt, etc. Officers should get the tag number, enter that tag number in their computer and the registered owner gets a notice in the mail not a murder charge with another dead or injured cop. It’s just not worth it. If the officer gets a hit on the tag number, that’s another matter – depends on what it is on what action to take or not take.

In many cities across America — due to the danger to the public and responding officers — high speed vehicle chases are sometimes called off with hopes of catching the suspect at a later time in another way. This year alone 23 police officers have died in vehicle crashes, according to Officer Down.

Problems like these serve as a heads up for what’s coming to America.

Seems like to start with two full-body-armored SWAT cops answer all the domestic violence calls and reports of shots fired, etc., using uniformed officers as back up securing a perimeter and entering when the scene is cleared by SWAT. Making such changes would probably add to response time, but would have to save lives of police and the public. Guns are everywhere. Cops must now assume as soon as they enter someone’s home they have guns pointed at them. But they bravely go in anyway mostly unprotected except for that bullet-proof vest which still leaves them vulnerable to say the least. 

Veteran police officers will tell you there is no such thing as a ‘routine’ traffic stop and no two 911 calls for help are the same. Every incident presents its own set of problems to deal with. The public is heavily armed not just with guns, but with alcohol, drugs, gangs and money in the mix. 

In a peaceful and free society it’s hard to see increasingly militarized police on city streets across America, but that’s the way it’s going and with good reason. For example, the city of Chicago has been under murderous assault for years now with no end in sight. Every weekend the national media reports on how many were shot dead and injured in Chicago. Watch any TV news report in any major city and it’s the same thing – shootings, shootings, armed standoffs and more shootings. 

In Chicago alone, this year has seen 4,291 shootings including 738 murders. Last year, the nation’s third largest city, recorded 2,989 shootings, according to the Chicago Tribune newspaper. The police don’t stand a chance in solving all these violent acts. There are many murderers on the loose in Chicago and every other major city. These killers will do it again in pursuit of easy money and drugs until they are stopped. 

President-elect Trump has made some tough statements concerning stopping violence across America. What he says sounds good, but actually stopping this epidemic of violence is another matter.

In Chicago and other cities there is every reason for governors and mayors to call out the U.S. Army National Guard and bring in the armored vehicles, body armor, riot gear with heavy arms and be on patrol and make a difference by whatever means are necessary. Tough times call for tough measures. It’s time to call out the big guns. Declare Martial Law, set curfews and get control of Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Baltimore and all the rest of them. Shut down the night clubs, clear the corners of loitering drug dealers and conduct constant traffic checkpoints with heavily armed police. Let the siege begin.

Open-carry laws are a response to gun violence and crime in general as are stand-your-ground laws. There are no real safe spaces anymore. For those living in foreign counties, looking back at the USA and what’s happening there with violence across the board it’s a good feeling not to be there. But there are no crime-free countries.

As usual, law-abiding, gun-owning American citizens are not the ones causing the trouble on America’s streets. In some people’s misguided logic, if you ban guns the problem will go away, but then only the criminals will have guns. Guns are so out of control in the USA they will never be in control. How do you control an estimated 350 to 400 million guns already in private hands constitutionally protected in America? Guns of all descriptions are manufactured, sold, traded and stolen every day. Just where does one start to deal with this violent situation?

As city governments and police seek to regain control of their cities by fighting back — the courts will clog, jails and prisons will fill far beyond capacity but what’s the alternative? There’s a shootout coming, but not at the OK Corral.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.