President Barack Obama published an open letter to law enforcement Tuesday, saying that in the wake of two deadly shootings that claimed eight officers’ lives, “We proclaim loudly our appreciation for the acts of service you perform as part of your daily routine.”

“Every day, you confront danger so it does not find our families, carry burdens so they do not fall to us, and courageously meet test after test to keep us safe,” he wrote. “Thank you for your courageous service. We have your backs.”

While the president has made a point in recent days of saying there is no justification for attacking police officers, he has faced strong criticism for not doing enough to defend law enforcement over the past few years as police misconduct has come under intense scrutiny after deadly clashes with civilians – primarily African American men – in communities of color.

Obama met privately last week with several law enforcement officers for two hours, and later that same week invited multiple police officials to join him in a four-hour meeting with a range of individuals involved in pushing for policing reform. He also traveled to Dallas to speak at a memorial for the five officers killed by a lone gunman during a peaceful protest march earlier this month.

In the letter, the president wrote that the nation collectively mourns the deaths of three Baton Rouge officers on Sunday – Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola – and must not allow those kinds of violent act to turn Americans against one another.

“Officer Jackson knew this too, when just days ago he asked us to keep hatred from our hearts. Instead, he offered – to protesters and fellow police officers alike – a hug to anyone who saw him on the street,” he wrote. “He offered himself as a fellow worshipper to anyone who sought to pray. Today, we offer our comfort and our prayers to his family, to the Geralds and the Garafolas, and to the tight-knit Baton Rouge law enforcement community.”

The president reiterated the point that he made during his speech last week in Dallas, that Americans cannot expect police officers to serve as social workers or address all the needs of impoverished communities. The Fraternal Order of Police, which posted the president’s open letter on its Facebook page, added a comment asking for Americans to engage in a national dialogue on the issue.

“We can and do provide the best quality law enforcement that we can but we cannot be held responsible for the social issues such as poverty, lack of mental health services, unemployment, and abject poverty,” the group said. “The work now is to assist our communities by continuing to recognize that we are but one spoke in the wheel and we will do our part.”

Obama is meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey about the ongoing federal investigations of the attacks, after which he is scheduled to make remarks to reporters.

Some groups have been pressing for Obama to light the White House in blue as an homage to the fallen officers, just as he lit it in rainbow colors to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage and in pink to promote breast-cancer awareness.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest has repeatedly indicated that’s not something the president plans to do.

“But the president dedicated a lot of time to this, both in substance and in symbolism,” Earnest told Fox News’ Kevin Corke during Monday’s White House briefing. “The president’s strong support for American law enforcement officers is crystal-clear.”

(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Juliet Eilperin