Thugs have been strengthened and law enforcement weakened to a remarkable degree in the insurrection of 2020. If you are a fan of dystopian anarchy, with the lawless helping themselves to whatever they want while the law-abiding citizenry cower in fear, with the police unable to protect them, then your fantasies are in the process of being fulfilled.

Via Julio Rosas of Townhall, we learn:

The Major Cities Chiefs Association released a report detailing the number of violent riots and the number of police officers injured during the riots U.S. cities faced after the death of George Floyd in May.

The MCCA, which has members in 69 of the largest cities in the U.S., released the findings of their survey in October and compiled data from May 25 to July 31, 2020. In total, 8,700 protests took place in major American cities during that time period.

Of the 8,700 protests, 574 of them were riots that saw mass looting and destruction. [emphasis added]

The Report shows:

"In cities where violence did occur, assaults on police officers, looting, and arson were the most common criminal activities. Approximately, 72% of major city law enforcement agencies had officers harmed during the protests. This included nearly every agency that experienced at least one violent protest. In total, over the course of the civil unrest from May to July, more than 2,000 officers sustained injuries in the line of duty. One agency reported 50 officers being injured in a single week of protests. Another agency reported that 462 of their officers were injured during the protests in their jurisdiction. [emphases added]

These injuries are not sustainable. As has already happened in Minneapolis, cops are retiring or quitting, and replacing them with qualified personnel is going to be nearly impossible. Who would voluntarily seek a dangerous career that pays poorly and subjects one to abuse? Lowering standards opens the door to corrupt police, a reality in some third world countries, where bribes are demanded, and cops become robbers. We can’t afford to have police like that.

But maintaining standards leads to shortages of police, and that leads to criminals ruling the streets. This example, highlighted by John Hinderaker of Powerline, shows a carjacking taking place on the streets of an upscale Minneapolis neighborhood that is very familiar to me from my childhood in that city.

The two “youths” seen committing the crime were driving a perfectly nice car, the red one on the left. They apparently cut off a driver and forced him or her to stop. They then jumped out of their vehicle and in the photo, taken from across the street (likely a still from a Ring video or something of the sort) one of them is pointing a gun at the driver. A few moments later the two “youths” drove away in the two vehicles.

Picture sent from a page follower reportedly from the carjacking in Tangletown area of south Mpls this morning. pic.twitter.com/EIYezsWou0

— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) November 28, 2020

James Lileks provides more detail:

At 8 AM a few days ago a housekeeper was sitting in her car outside the house where she worked. No, let’s say 7:58. She started at 8. That was probably the arrangement. She was probably looking at her phone, whiling away the time as we do when we have these empty moments in between. What did we do before? Twiddle the radio knobs, woolgather, try to sort our marginal thoughts into little packages we can put on the shelf before the day begins.

A car came up and stopped, angled, boxing her in.

Here's what I heard from neighbors:

The bad guys - and they are bad, bad people, and I will leave it for those with more generosity of spirit to consider their possible path to redemption - produced a gun, as you see, and demanded the housekeeper’s purse.

She declined.

The bad man - and he may not be a man, technically; possibly a juvenile, and I will leave it for those deeply concerned with the effect of treating juveniles as adults in the criminal justice system, instead of considering the factors that may have bent this twig as it grew - fired three times into the car’s window.

She wasn’t hit. She started her car and rammed the vehicle that blocked her. Whereupon the bad guys got in the car and fled. Whereupon she gave chase.

Unwise, but impressive.

There was a cop car nearby, miracle of miracles, and he stopped to give assistance to the victim. They dd not give chase. The cops explained that there was a big gang of carjackers, quite modern in its multiethnic makeup, and they’d gotten some, but more were out there. They’d been hitting the north end of the lakes, and apparently had moved south to see what rich nuts could be cracked.

I should also note that the middle area between the north and south end of the lakes has experienced a zesty spate of carjacking as well

The wealthier neighborhoods in Minneapolis are on notice. Thugs know that there is nicer stuff to steal there, and are (apparently) working their way around the lakes and parks that adorn that city, and formerly made it one of the most beautiful and livable places in the country to raise a family. If you have a nice house, with nice furniture, maybe some art or collectibles and a nice car or two, then you have to anticipate the arrival of the thugs, and the inability of the police to help you.

 Every big city in the country faces a future like this, unless things turn around – for reasons what are not apparent now.  

Photo credit: Twitter screen grab (cropped)