Public safety is a crucial function of government at all levels. Millions of Americans want to know that their homes, schools, businesses and neighborhoods are safe from lawlessness. They want to know that in an emergency, they won’t be left with a dial-tone and help will be on the way swiftly when danger comes.

But what we’ve seen over the course of this year is politicians and cities in Texas and nationwide surrendering to the movement to “defund the police.” Americans watched this play out when the mayor of Minneapolis was bombarded by protestors because he refused their demand to defund the police. Soon after, the Minneapolis city council voted to dismantle its police department and start towards a “police-free future.”

Defunding measures are happening in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and now Dallas. Meanwhile, in cities nationwide, violent crime is shooting up.

Last week, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall resigned after a rocky relationship with the City Council. This comes as the council prepares to slash the budgets for Dallas police overtime and the Police Academy, measures that would undermine public safety. The Dallas department remains understaffed while violent crime is on the rise, with the 2020 murder rate set to surpass last year’s and aggravated assaults up 21%.

It’s little wonder the Dallas Police Department struggles to recruit when its elected leaders seem dead-set on defunding — or “reimagining” — the police.

A recent report from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows that violent crime is also on the rise in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. A new billboard went up warning people headed into Austin to “Enter At Your Own Risk.”

As a mom of two living 20 minutes from downtown Dallas, these trends are deeply concerning. The fact is that American communities are safer with police than without. Our communities are stronger knowing the thin blue line is there to protect us and uphold the law.

Violent riots in Portland, Minneapolis, and Kenosha are previews of what communities like ours can experience when police are vilified, defunded, and dismantled.

Citizens grasp the real danger of having no police and the harm it can bring to their businesses and communities. They know that our country is a nation of laws and that without defense of those laws, anarchy will result.

Gallup reports that most black Americans want the police presence to remain the same in their area or even increase. And recent polling by Heritage Action for America found that 79% of respondents in battleground states oppose the movement to defund the police.

Our elected leaders’ failure to support our police has dire consequences. This is why Heritage Action launched our nationwide Police Pledge. While the left cheers on riots as “mostly peaceful,” the Police Pledge makes clear who stands up for our law enforcement and the safety and security of our communities.

Supporting the police is not negotiable. To date, 16 U.S. senators and candidates, more than 100 congressman and candidates, two governors, and more than 100 state and local officials have signed their name to the Police Pledge, along with nearly 100,000 citizens. Among Texans, pledge signers include Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Kay Granger and Rep. Michael Burgess.

Our neighborhoods, cities, and communities thrive when they have the stability of a police force capable of deterring and stopping violence and crime. Elected officials ought to stand with our police and reaffirm their commitment to keeping our communities safe. Because when there is no police, there is no peace.