Guests - Betsy Smith, Joel Strabala, Grant Krueger

America's Law Enforcement Crisis: Officers Targeted in Wave of Violence

America is facing a disturbing trend: police officers becoming "target practice for the insane and evil," with 50 officers already killed in the line of duty this year. National Police Association spokesperson Betsy Smith revealed these alarming statistics during Tuesday's "Smith and Winn" segment, highlighting that 24 of these deaths were from gunfire, with 14 police canine dogs also killed while serving.

"Just in July alone, I believe we've had 10 police officers die in the line of duty," Smith explained, emphasizing the severity of this crisis. The most recent incident occurred in Manhattan, where a gunman with an M4 rifle entered a building on Park Avenue, killing an NYPD officer before shooting three civilians and ultimately taking his own life.

The fallen officer, Dittarul Islam, was a legal immigrant from Bangladesh who became a U.S. citizen and joined the NYPD four years ago during the height of anti-police sentiment following the George Floyd protests. "He has a young wife who's eight months pregnant," Smith noted, adding that Islam was working an authorized extra duty assignment because "NYPD police officers don't get paid very well."

The Manhattan Shooting: Mental Health and Motive

The 27-year-old gunman, identified as Shane Divan Tamura from Las Vegas, had documented mental health issues. He drove from Nevada to New York City over two days, bringing a revolver, an M4 rifle, and substantial ammunition.

The investigation revealed that Tamura left a note in his double-parked black BMW, blaming the NFL for a CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) brain injury, despite never having played professional football. The building he targeted houses NFL headquarters.

"He was a standout football star in high school... but he never played in the NFL," Smith explained. "This is some sort of bizarre fantasy or machination." Medication for mental illness was also found in his vehicle.

A Nationwide Pattern of Violence Against Police

The Manhattan shooting is part of a disturbing pattern. In the past week alone, multiple officers across the country have been targeted:

• Three police officers in Lorain, Ohio were ambushed, with one succumbing to injuries on July 24

• A Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office deputy near Kansas City, Kansas was murdered responding to a domestic dispute

• A parole agent in California was murdered by gunfire

• A California Highway Patrol officer was killed in a crash

• A deputy in rural Darlington County, South Carolina was murdered by gunfire

• Three police officers in LA County were "blown up"

• An Alabama police officer was shot two days earlier

• A Suffolk County, New York officer was shot in the face but is expected to recover

"Police officers get shot almost every day in this country," Smith stated. "We're on track for about 350 police officers shot in the line of duty again this year. Every single year, about 80,000 law enforcement officers get assaulted."

The threats have expanded beyond traditional police officers. Attacks on ICE agents have increased by 850 percent, with Smith explaining that "these lunatics are attacking police officers that are simply doing their jobs because they think they're ICE agents."

Michigan Walmart Stabbing: Good Guy with a Gun

Another recent violent incident occurred at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, where a man with a lengthy criminal history and documented mental illness randomly stabbed 11 people. The attacker was stopped by "a legally armed Marine veteran, father of three," alongside another unarmed citizen wielding only a grocery cart.

Smith highlighted how this story quickly disappeared from national news because "a bad guy with a knife was stopped by a good guy with a gun and people don't want to talk about that."

This case demonstrates the importance of armed citizens in public safety, Smith argued, drawing a contrast with New York City's restrictive gun laws that make it "extremely difficult to get a concealed carry permit or even a permit to own and possess a firearm."

Political Leadership and Public Safety

Both hosts expressed concern about political leadership that doesn't prioritize public safety, particularly focusing on Zohran Mamdani, a self-described "Democrat socialist" running for New York City mayor who has called for defunding the police.

"He thinks that all mental health issues should be handled by social workers, not police officers. So he would have sent social workers by policy to this situation and sent them to their slaughter," Smith said.

The hosts discussed how current New York Mayor Eric Adams "embarrassed himself" at a press conference about the Manhattan shooting, appearing unprepared and initially attempting to pivot to gun control before backing off.

Tucson's Public Safety Challenges

The conversation shifted to local concerns in Tucson, with both hosts criticizing what they view as insufficient prioritization of public safety by city leadership.

"We just don't have enough of them and instead of defunding to get rid of it, they just underfunded our police here," Winn stated, emphasizing that Tucson has "incredible law enforcement officers" but not enough resources.

Smith argued that Tucson's Mayor Regina Romero doesn't understand how to address crime issues: "She wants to talk about art and culture and race and things like that, and she doesn't really want to get down to the nitty gritty."

Both hosts urged listeners to consider public safety when voting in upcoming city council elections, suggesting that current leadership has created an environment where many residents feel unsafe and businesses are leaving.

The Homeless Crisis: Housing vs. Treatment

The hosts discussed approaches to homelessness, criticizing current strategies that focus primarily on housing rather than addressing underlying issues.

"We have got to stop calling these people unhoused. They're not unhoused. The vast majority of them are homeless by choice," Smith argued. "If you just house them, they are going to trash that housing. They are going to continue with their drugging and their prostitution and their crime and their craziness."

Both hosts praised the Gospel Rescue Mission and its leader Lisa Chestain for taking a more comprehensive approach. "They start at the beginning and they start at the addiction. They start at the criminal behavior and they start first and foremost at the heart," Smith explained.

Winn agreed: "It is not that we don't care about human beings. It's not that we don't care about whatever caused them to be in this situation... Gospel Rescue Mission does an incredible job. They have sustainable results."

City Council Elections and Tucson's Future

Looking ahead to upcoming city council elections, the hosts encouraged voters to consider candidates who prioritize public safety and effective solutions to homelessness.

"You have an opportunity coming up here in November after the August primary to say no and change the face of the city council in Tucson, to change the face of Tucson," Winn urged. "It's time to restore order and make this the great place that it was."

Smith specifically endorsed candidates J.L. Breaker and J. Tolkoff, saying they "have done the work" and "educated themselves about our homeless crisis and about our fentanyl situation."

"We're not just complaining about this without solutions," Smith emphasized. "These candidates have solutions that will change not just the city of Tucson, but the entirety of Pima County and our state."

Ballot Issues in the Primary Election

The program later included a segment with Joel Strabala, chairman of LD 17 for the Republicans and member of the Pima County Election Integrity Commission, discussing ballot issues for the upcoming primary.

"Last Friday the notification went out that there was a possibility of 1,294 voters getting incorrect ballots," Joel explained, noting that the number had been revised to 358 voters. The error occurred after the CD7 primary election on July 17th when there was "an override of the mechanism that prevents party changes during an active election."

Voters who received incorrect ballots can get replacements at any ballot replacement site through election day, though Joel warned: "If your ballot had already been processed and removed from the envelope, there's no way to correct it even if you were to vote a provisional ballot."

Upcoming Candidate Event

The show concluded with a segment featuring Grant Krueger promoting an upcoming candidate event at St. Philips Plaza on Thursday at 5:00 PM, featuring congressional candidate Andy Biggs and Warren Peterson, who is running for attorney general.

"These candidates are approachable and we need to talk to them," Winn emphasized, noting that Arizona has gone from being "the fourth most productive city in terms of attracting new business to 47th or 48th" and needs to turn that trend around.

Krueger added that the attorney general position significantly impacts business: "The way particular cases or laws are interpreted really do make a big deal when it comes to further economic development, whether they're going to keep you in business or attempt to squash you on minutiae in some capacity."

The hosts encouraged listeners to attend both to meet candidates and to enjoy the venue and band performance afterward, emphasizing the importance of being informed voters in upcoming elections at all levels.