Police Associations from many of America’s largest cities have joined together to help launch the Protect and Serve PAC, a federal SuperPAC. The mission of this PAC will be to engage in races where there is a clear distinction between candidates who embrace the disastrous policy of “defunding the police” and those who recognize the central role law enforcement plays in keeping our cities and neighborhoods safe. “Defunding the police is not only a terrible idea, it is downright dangerous,” said Fort Worth Police Officers Association (FWPOA) President Manny Ramirez, PAC spokesman. “There is a direct correlation between modern reductions in crime, and the resources that we put towards that effort. It is outrageous that some American cities are now seeing decades of crime fighting progress evaporate, leaving residents exposed to violent crime.” Ramirez recently faced a police-defunding election in July, as Fort Worth city voters were asked to decide whether to continue the 0.5% sales tax that has funded law enforcement in the city since 1995. Had the anti-policing advocates been successful, approximately $1 billion dollars would have been stripped from the city’s anti-crime budget over 10 years. Thankfully, the voters in Fort Worth were engaged and rallied around the city’s police officers to defeat the attempts to defund their department. The measure to continue funding was passed by an overwhelming 65% majority. “Fort Worth prevailed where many cities have failed because supporters of law enforcement were well organized and took their appeal directly to the voters,” said Ramirez, who spearheaded the launch of Protect and Serve PAC. “American voters understand how important law enforcement is to our communities. Keeping our communities safe should never be a polarizing political issue. The Protect and Serve PAC will ensure that our elected officials prioritize the safety of our citizens.”