What happened to Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee is an absolute tragedy.

Five officers beating down this young man to the point that he did not survive these injuries is absolutely unforgivable.  As a result, these "officers" (I can't even consider them in the same league as our hardworking men and women in blue) will be dealt with accordingly, the same as if they were professionals or blue-collar workers.  Justice will be served.

And yet, the media are only talking about the fallout that came from that — people protesting in the streets and calling for the end of police, and bringing in more public workers instead in the name of justice.

But here's the thing: the police as a whole aren't the problem.  The system is.  Let's take a closer look at how we got here.

These five "officers" essentially took matters into their own hands, acting completely unprofessionally and attacking this man to the point of taking his life.  And while they are responsible for their own actions (and will certainly pay for them, if justice has its way), we have to take a look at how they got into officer uniforms in the first place.

Over the past couple of years, the situation with police officers has gotten far worse than we could ever imagine.  It all started with "defund the police" in 2020 and what happened with George Floyd.  Since that time, politicians have been on a rampage, scuttling police budgets as if they didn't even matter and insisting that police are the problem, not even looking at the brave men and women who have put their lives on the line.  They just got slapped with a label as a whole.

Look at the fallout from that.  Thousands of police officers have left their jobs.  Some didn't have a choice in the matter, fired by city administration — such as New York — over failing to follow something as simple as a vaccine requirement (mainly because they didn't have enough details about it).  Some left under more drastic terms, coming under such pressure that they killed themselves.

Then there are the officers who just left.  They were tired.  Tired of being yelled at.  Tired of being disrespected by their higher-ups.  Tired of the day-in, day-out grind of overtime hours and no mental health support to get them through their day.  Tired of not having the gear needed to do their jobs.  Tired of limitations that prevented them from doing their job.  Some even left without getting their pension, preferring to save their lives instead.

Think about that.  Look at it from the perspective of officers.  And I mean the tried and true officers who busted their butts every day to get the job done, even if it meant taking a toll on them.

That left some departments high and dry in the face of growing criminal activities.  As a result, many departments — including, I suspect, Memphis — had to hire anyone who was willing to put on a badge and take the training.  Now, as a result, five officers who chose to take matters into their own hands took the life of a young man who didn't deserve anything they did to him.  It's earth-shattering — and a true wake-up call.

There is no going halfway with police anymore.  The government needs to approve that "fund the police" program so we can finally get money flowing again.  Providing mental support where it's needed so our officers won't leave the job in vain.  Providing the protective gear necessary so they can go home the same way as they got to work.  Assuring that we will never, ever again hire officers like the five who took part in this brutal act.

Without that funding — and that support — we're going to continue to see the downfall.  People mad at police.  Departments being short-handed and hiring people unfit for the job.  And criminals continuing to run wild.

It's time to give the officers what they need: training, support, gear, all of it.

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: Tony Webster via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).