Page 10 - FOP Magazine August 2020

ThirdVice President’s Report
Never lie to your lawyer
There is an old saying that goes, “You never lie to your doctor and you never lie to your lawyer.” That also goes for the people trying to get you a lawyer. When you are giving a statement either to BIA or COPA and you decide to deviate from the truth, remember this: If you are wearing a BWC, or your partner is, you now have a witness either in your favor or against you. Review your body-cam footage as soon as you are able, and be ready to articulate what you did and why you did it. Always
assume that you are being recorded. Store security cameras, citizens with cell phones and traffic cameras are all methods that can either save you or crucify you. If you are caught in a lie by COPA or BIA, they can and will Rule 14 you, and you can be fired. Please don’t put yourself or your partners in a “trick bag”; it’s better to take a suspension hit than to be fired or indicted.
When responding to a 10-1 or another hot call, we instinctive- ly go as fast as we can to help out our partners. Unfortunately, sometimes we get into a horrible accident where someone gets killed or maimed and the squad car gets destroyed. The best- case scenario is that we get a couple of bumps and bruises and have to be placed on IOD. The worst case is that someone gets killed or ends up in the hospital with serious injuries. If there are serious injuries, COPA will be coming out to do an inves-
tigation. Trust me, I understand what happens when another copper is calling for help and you are responding. But if you don’t get there, you are no good to anyone. Drive in a safe and expeditious manner, and make sure you get to your destination in one piece. You can’t stop a dog from barking; it’s just what they do. And it’s hard to tell another copper to slow down when someone is calling for help. Just realize that when and if some- thing goes wrong, you are going to have to explain your actions.
Sorry about all the gloom and doom, but this is the new real- ity. Car chases are pretty much a thing of the past. According to General Order G03-03-01 Pursuits, “the necessity to immediate- ly apprehend the fleeing suspect outweighs the level of inherent danger created by a motor vehicle pursuit” is the balancing test that the pursuit must conform to on top of all the other criteria.
Not only is our union under attack, but so is our nation. The groups that claim to be civil-justice warriors are no more than puppets for a darker side of society that would love nothing more than to see our nation turn into a socialist country. When dealing with this element of society, protect yourself at all costs. You have a family and loved ones who want and need you to come home safe and sound. Protect yourself, and protect your partners. This too shall pass. Evil is powerless if the good are un- afraid. God bless you, and God bless this country. Be safe, and stay healthy.
FERNANDO FLORES
10 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020