Page 27 - January 2020 FOP Magazine

ond FOP Lodge to go the billboard route, following Philadelphia. The Lodge 7 board voted unanimously to take such action in mid-December to get the word out to the public in advance of the 2020 election.
“Our objective was to bring attention to the state’s attorney not doing the job,” Graham added. “We need a new state’s attorney.”
When the FOP contingent was escort- ed into the cabinet room, Yoes learned that it was rare for such a meeting to take place in this venue. Usually, these confabs are held in the executive build- ing next door.
The session lasted for a couple of hours. Attorney General William Barr was out of the country, but his assistants attended as did Homeland Security Sec- retary Chad Wolf. President Trump sat in for an hour, during which time he heard each of the 20 FOP leaders weigh in about what Yoes has branded “de-po- licing the police.” Or, in other words, de- criminalizing crime.
“In all my time involved in the FOP, this is the most rewarding and beneficial meeting I’ve actually had in Washing- ton,” the national president declared. “It’s rare for any group or profession to have a sit-down with the president, the secretary of Homeland Security and key
players from the DOJ. We had so much to share about the broken system, and we did it firsthand. It didn’t take long for the president to stand up and say, ‘What do you need from me?’”
Gamaldi challenged that while the discussion about new gun laws might rage on for another 30 or 40 years, the biggest problem is enforcing the rules on the books right now. He demonstra- tively advocated for the need to throw the book at these criminals.
“Making sure we’re seeking maximum on those who shoot people in our com- munity, who rob people in our commu- nity,” he emphasized. “We need to use the tools we have in the toolbox now.”
Graham raised the issue about how activists representing anti-police rhet- oric under the guise of criminal justice reform are funding the campaigns of county and state prosecutors has be- come a root cause of violent offender liberation. A catch-and-release mental- ity, if you will. Yoes noted that the con- versation at the meeting was directed at educating about this not being a gun vi- olence issue but a people violence issue.
In addition to taking political action against these prosecutors, the FOP is asking that U.S. attorneys be deployed to take on some of these cases involv- ing convicted felons and gun violence.
There was also talk about using models that have worked in the past with task forces under the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Ex- plosives.
“Since the meeting, we’re seeing dis- trict attorneys across the country step- ping up and increasing their activities,” Yoes reported. “You’ve had the U.S. at- torney hold a news conference with the FOP president in Indianapolis. Discus- sions are taking place across the coun- try.”
Yoes added that the next step might include organizing a mass summit in Washington, D.C., at which leaders from all walks of law enforcement and gov- ernment can look at more solutions to keeping violent offenders from being issued “get out of jail free” cards. And to have a meaningful dialogue with com- mon-sense, two-way discussion about how to improve the judicial system.
After the meeting, the presidents gathered with the president for one more telling photo op in the Oval Office. Of all the words this picture is worth, one has to be “hope.” What other rea- sons could there be for presenting such a unified thumbs-up?
“We will keep our foot on the pedal,” Yoes confirmed. “We have to make sure the issue stays at the forefront.”
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