Los Angeles Police are eligible to be awarded the prestigious Preservation of Life award, established last November, as an incentive to reduce police killings in the area.
Officers who receive the award must have shown significant restraint from deploying lethal force during a threatening situation.
The award would carry the same weight as the Medal of Valor award, which is given to LAPD officers who "distinguish themselves by conspicuous bravery or heroism above and beyond the normal demands of police service ... while consciously facing imminent peril," according to the LAPD website.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, however, thought that the award carries "dangerous implications," reports USA Today.
In its blog response to the award announcement, its board of directors asserted that the development could actually endanger the lives of police officers who, motivated by the intentions of the award, may not resort to lethal force when the situation calls for it.
The blog post reads: "This award will prioritize the lives of suspected criminals over the lives of LAPD officers, and goes against the core foundation of an officer’s training."
