Bill would enact sentence enhancements for criminals who target police officers, first responders, family members

Rep. Dwight Tosh, R-Jonesboro, spent many years in law enforcement, and during the last several years he’s noticed an alarming trend across the country. Criminals are targeting police officers, first responders, and might even start targeting their families.

It’s not a problem in Arkansas – yet, he told Talk Business & Politics.

House Bill 1172 would provide sentence enhancements for those who target these people, Tosh said. The bill was passed in the House and now it’s before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“I felt like we needed to update the law … we need to protect those who protect us,” Tosh said. “Assaults can escalate during an arrest, and we don’t need criminals targeting law enforcement officers or first responders that are there doing their job.”

Tosh expects the bill to be approved early next week when the Arkansas General Assembly reconvenes. It includes an emergency clause. Enhancements would not apply to crimes where an enhancement has already been designated.

A person convicted of a class A misdemeanor with a possible sentence of 90 or more days can receive and enhancement of up to one year. Persons convicted of class C and D felonies can receive an additional six months to two years on their sentences; and persons convicted of class A, B, or Y felonies can receive an enhancement of at least two years, but no more than 10 years.

Tosh hasn’t talked with Gov. Asa Hutchinson about the measure, but his staff is aware of the legislation. He doesn’t expect opposition from the governor, he said.

At least 64 police officers were killed nationwide in the line of duty in 2016 a five year high, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. About 53 officers are killed each year across the country on average. Highly publicized shootings in which officers were targeted in Dallas and Baton Rouge dominated news coverage in 2016.

Police officers being shot and killed while performing their duties is deeply troubling, Tosh said, but the law change he proposes goes beyond that dynamic, he said. Everyday in Arkansas police officers and first responders go on calls and have to chase suspects down whether in be in a vehicle or on foot. These chases are inherently dangerous, and that danger can be heightened if the suspect decides to willfully harm one of his/her pursuers.

This isn’t now a serious problem in the state, but the danger is growing, Tosh said. Legislators need to be pro-active, and not reactive when comes to passing laws to help law officers do their jobs and keep them safe, he said.

“We need to have something on the books before this becomes a problem … if we can do anything to deter this type of problem, we need to do it,” he said.