Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MARCH 2017 25 O ne of the more politically popu- lar trends in state legislatures in- volves increasing criminal penalties for people that assault police officers and affording cops the same hate crime protections we give to the LGBT community, among others. But while many see these new laws as a step in the right direction, others have some questions about the “feel” versus the “real.” In Missouri, Governor Eric Greitens is pushing to toughen Missouri’s already stiff penalties for attacking a police officer. Considering the well- known fact that Republi- cans generally show more support for law enforcement than Democrats, it’s hard to imagine a Republican that would be opposed to Gre- itens’ proposal. “We can feel like we’re do- ing a great thing and we’re really solving the problem,” state Sen. Bob Dixon recent- ly told reporters. “This does not solve that problem.” The problem, at least from Dixon’s point of view, is that a lot of this stuff is political theater considering that Mis- souri already has some of the toughest criminal penalties for attacking cops in the na- tion. Greitens, whatever you think of his take on the issue, is an impressive figure. He was not only a Navy Seal but a Rhodes Scholar as well. His support for law en- forcement is genuine. In fact, he pledged in his first major policy speech to help pass “the toughest laws in the country for anyone who assaults a peace officer,” even though Missouri al- ready has harsher penalties for people who hurt cops or first responders. Those laws are currently in effect. A Missouri con- viction for second-degree assault, in which someone is seriously injured or a lethal weapon is used, currently carries a sentence of one day to seven years in prison or a fine. If the victim is a police officer, the penalty is five to 15 years. The new Blue Lives Matter proposal the governor’s pitching would double it to 10 to 30 years or life behind bars. Dixon, the Republican state senator, says the prob- lem is that these laws will do little to protect cops because the individuals that assault or kill law enforcement officers are not students of the law. “The person who shoots a cop probably didn’t look up the statutes to see what the penalty was,” Dixon said. “It’s a one-time deal.” Signals & symbols won’t protect you W ho says you can’t be a cop at 93? Bill Hardin, who is 93, has been a cop for 70 years. If that’s not a record, it’s got to be very close. Hardin spent most of his career with the Fort Worth Police Department. He’s also worked with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department and is currently a Johnson County deputy. Hardin says hearing about a cop that’s been hurt or killed in the line of duty is something that never gets any easier. “I’ve learned over the years, it’s not the body inside the uniform, it’s the uniform,” he told CBS News in a re- cent interview. “I don’t un- derstand why … every time you get out on the street, you’re a target.” Hardin says that even though he was threatened and a criminal once tried to run him down with a car, he feels lucky that he’s never had to fire his service weapon. “You know, I said a prayer every day when I went to work. I would say, ‘Lord, not today.’ I didn’t want to kill anybody.And I never had to shoot any- body,” he said. Hardin is fi- nally consider- ing retirement, reluctantly, but he hasn’t decid- ed on a date. He does have a piece of advice for younger officers. “All I’d say is, watch your back.” Retire? I’m only in my 90s after all, I have lots of work left to do