There's a radical, progressive agenda sweeping the liberal bastions and seeping into every nook and cranny of permissive America. The ultra-left is proudly and loudly shouting "Defund the Police."

Wait. Let me be more accurate: "defund the racist police."

This week Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city would be slashing the police department’s budget by $100 million to $150 million. New York and Philadelphia leadership are also discussing similar concepts and Minnesota congressional Rep. Ilhan Omar endorsed the idea of completely disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department.

Imagine a nation void of viable law enforcement. Virtually no system of accountability. Nobody answering the calls for active armed robberies, episodes of domestic violence, high-speed chases, overdoses or barroom brawls.

Disbanding police departments would result in civilizational suicide. The end of time as we know it.

The Constitution State's law enforcement policies may be on the verge of radical changes, whether we like it or not. 

Here in Connecticut's little blue utopia, the state is zooming at 100 mph in the far left-hand lane, red and blue lights flashing, sirens screaming — heading straight into a potential law enforcement calamity.

In the late '80s, Gov. William O'Neill initiated a state-mandated minimum of 1,248 active Connecticut state troopers at all times. Over the years, that number has been reduced, including a change in the law in 2012. The number now stands at around 900. That alone would be an issue, even without a potentially game-changing event advancing towards us on the horizon. 

The State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection announced last year that nearly half of the state troopers currently on the job will be eligible to retire by 2023. To complicate the issue, troopers who stay beyond June 2022 will have their cost of living adjustment capped for at least 30 months. That makes the deadline in 2022 a major obstacle. 

So what happens if 200 or more troopers call it quits? 

Already there aren’t enough troopers patrolling state highways and, as a result, overtime for the services they provide are astronomical.

Dozens of sergeants and those with the rank of trooper first class doubled their pay with overtime in 2019 — taking home between $200,015 and $295,176. Last year, trooper overall overtime was north of $23 million. Since the starting salary for new officers is around $61,000, Connecticut could pay the salaries (excluding benefits) of 375 new state troopers for less than the overtime cost alone. 

Does Gov. Ned Lamont have a current plan in place to avert this impending disaster? Does he want to avert it? Public safety commissioner James Rovella has said there are plans for two new state police academy classes of 85 apiece.

Nationally, a majority of police departments report a declining number of applicants. The FBI is seeing a reduction as well, with numbers shrinking from 68,500 candidates in 2009 to 11,500 in 2018.

Clearly, this is not just an issue for the Connecticut State Police — it's a problem across the entire country.

Public perception of law enforcement is at an all-time low, with officers under constant scrutiny and often undeserved ridicule. With the advent of body and dash cams, every layman and wannabe flatfoot becomes an expert and Monday morning quarterback. The Thin Blue Line is vanishing. Desire to be a cop has been shattered. 

If Connecticut's state police force disappears as a result of the political climate or collapse in manpower, this state will witness the full force of mankind's declining moral consciousness.

Police dispatchers will tell you, the first signal they learn — 10-24 — is also the last one they ever want to use: officer down/officer needs assistance. I can hear it now: "10-24..10-24..10-24," Connecticut police force down.  

Lee Elci is the morning host for 94.9 News Now radio, a station that provides "Stimulating Talk" with a conservative bent.