Page 21 - January 2016

We will not let this incident
bring our world crashing to a halt
forgotten as news media coverage of the spectacle

grabs public attention. Suddenly, the motives,
ILLINOIS STATE LODGE REPORT

CH RIS SOUTHWOOD,

PRESIDENT
Thousands of times each day, huge metal objects crammed with people and weighing 200 tons or
this to be an emotionally charged issue for everyone involved, we
more ea ch hu r tle throu gh the sky, deliver ing pas -

of citizens have been exercising their First Amendment rights to let

sengers safely and without incident. This fact is not

news. But on those very rare occasions when an air-

liner crashes, that proven air travel safety record is

sincerely appreciate the peaceful manner in which the vast majority
theirfe elin gsb ek now nabout th iscas e.We urge them t ore m ember that these rights, and many others in our free society, are protected every day by the thousands of public servants who never make the headlines. d
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organi- zation of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 32,000 active duty and retired police officers - more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information

training and actions of airline professionals are
s c r u t i n i z e d , q u e s t i o n e d a n d s e c o n d - g u e s s e d .

Tens of thousands of times each day in Illinois,

traffic accidents are avoided, crimes are thwarted or solved and life-

saving emergency services are rendered by the men and women of

law enforcement. The daily maintenance of a safe, law-driven, free

society is seldom deemed newsworthy.
plan e cra s hes in the world of Illinois law enforcement. It involves the release of a dash-cam video that recorded the shooting death of a man by a Chicago police officer. The video and the murder charges brought against the officer have generated intense nationwide media interest and have caused many to question the motives, training and actions of all law enforcement officers.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police represents more than 32,000 active duty and retired police officers who serve the public with dis- tinction and pride in one of the nation's most difficult and danger- ous professions. Although most of us have not, and will not, need to fire our weapons at a suspect during our law enforcement careers, we all know that nightmare possibility exists every day we are on the job. We also know that each officer-involved shooting case involves numerous factors. The investigation into the Chicago incident must include an extremely thorough look at all of the evidence and a complete examination of the conduct and mindset of both Officer
We have recently experienced the equivalent of one of those
Jason Van Dyke and Laquan McDonald.
The Chicago shooting case is moving through the criminal justice
system. To be clear with the public, the Fraternal Order of Police did not delay the video's public release. The Fraternal Order of Police did not try to tell the State's Attorney how to do her job or when to bring forward criminal charges against the officer involved. The Fra- ternal Order of Police did not post bond for Officer Van Dyke. The case will not be tried in the court of public opinion, where the only evidence is that disturbing video, but in a court of law, where all evi- dence in the case will be considered. The laws we swear as police officers to uphold will decide the outcome.
Meanwhile, Fraternal Order of Police members will continue to fully cooperate and assist with wherever is needed during the ongo- ing investigation and legal proceedings in this case. As we recognize
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2016 21