Do you recall when President Joe Biden said at the end of August that he wants to "fund the police," after facing so much backlash from what took place with those "defund the police" protests?

Speaking to a group of 500 people at the time, he said, "When it comes to public safety, the answer is not to 'defund the police.'  It's to fund the police."

And yet here we are, months later, with barely any sort of action taken.  There is a bill that's making its way through the Senate that will reportedly provide that funding, but, considering how long it took to get through the House, it's hard for anyone to guess when it will pass.

I bring this up because it seems as though the president says a lot of things lately — like how just about three weeks later, he claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic that had affected thousands over the past couple of years was a done deal.  He noted, in the same statement, that the "pandemic is over," but "we still have a problem with COVID."

Now, months later, according to Fox News, he's seeking funding to continue to fight against COVID, requesting $9 billion for the U.S. and $1 billion for international purposes.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi supported his request, noting that additional money is needed so the United States can "stay prepared in the face of an unpredictable virus."

It seems like an ironic statement, don't you think?  Biden was bold when he told everyone back in the early part of fall that the "pandemic is over," without even checking in with his advisers or any health experts.  Follow up months later, and here he is, asking for more money to fight it.

Meanwhile, I can't help but wonder why he's turning a blind eye to what's happening with the police departments in this country.  Several major cities, including Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and New York, are seeing massive crime increases across the board.  But their local governments aren't raising a finger to help keep police staffed, nor are they taking care of their officers who remain with the force.

As a result, we've seen thousands leave their positions, including some who have fully abandoned their pensions for the sake of their mental health.  We've even seen some cases where they've committed suicide, unable to take the pressure that's coming down on them.

Yet here's ol' Joe, begging for more money to take on a pandemic that he said is "over" and done with, instead of actually pushing forward on his previous statement to "fund the police."

The White House Office of Management and Budget noted where the COVID budget would lie.  "That is why we are requesting funding to help prepare for a possible winter surge, smooth the path to commercialization for vaccines and therapeutics, accelerate research and treatment for long COVID, and develop next-generation vaccines and treatments."

But imagine what funding like that could do for the police departments that so desperately need the men and women in blue right now.  Nine billion dollars would buy all sorts of proper gear, as well as hiring mental health specialists who could provide these officers the care they need — not to mention that this funding could open up new positions for officers to fill, as well as the ability to hire more recruits.  Because we need them, now more than ever.

Perhaps Biden should hold off on making any more statements until he's able to follow through on what he previously promised.  He said to that crowd of his devotees that he would "fund the police," so now it's time to follow through.  I understand still needing to take care of COVID vaccines and all, but we've got a more severe problem with crime running rampant in a majority of cities at the moment.

And I can assure you, Biden won't be able to gloss past it by saying "crime is over."

Michael Letts is the founder, president, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.  He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue.  Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.