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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 20 OctOber 2020

Black officers break from unions over Trump endorsements

ing Trump, Local 22 broke from its
parent organization, which endorsed
Democrat Joe Biden.

Valiants leaders said the Local 22's
endorsement was based on survey
responses from about 500 of the
union's nearly 5,000 members. Lo-
cal union leaders said a redo survey is
being sent to members in response to
the backlash and its endorsement will
be revised if necessary by the end of
the month.

“The election is Nov. 3, and people
are out there voting now. What is it
going to do to rescind the endorse-
ment days before the election?” said
John Elam, a Philadelphia firefighter
and Valiants member. “We want a
fair process. We wanted a fair process
from the beginning.”

In New York City, Patrick Lynch —
the head of the Police Benevolent As-
(AP) — Police unions nationwide the endorsements for Trump don’t they're open to talking over con- sociation that represents about 24,000
have largely supported President fairly represent all dues-paying mem- cerns — but that all 44 state Frater- officers — announced the union's
Donald Trump’s reelection, amid bers. nal Orders of Police chapters that cast endorsement of Trump at August's
mass demonstrations over police a ballot voted for Trump. Pride said Republican National Convention,
brutality and accusations of sys- “We are members of these unions, the whole process starts locally, with something members said they had no
temic racism — but a number of and they don’t take into consideration lodges passing out candidate survey warning would happen. An unsigned
Black law enforcement officers our feelings about Donald J. Trump, answers and ballots and then voting letter from the Guardians Association
are speaking out against these then they don’t care about us and ... at a statewide meeting. State delegates said the Black and minority officers
endorsements, saying their con- they don’t care about our dues,” said then voted at the national meeting. the group represents felt blindsided
cerns over entering the 2020 po- Rochelle Bilal, the recent past presi- by Lynch’s endorsement and wished
litical fray were ignored. dent of the Guardian Civic League "We could probably have an hourlong the union had stayed neutral.
of Philadelphia, calling the National conversation about why some folks Lynch said it was the union's first
Trump has touted his support from Fraternal Order of Police's Trump feel President Trump is racist and presidential endorsement in at least
the law enforcement community, endorsement an “outrage.” why others disagree,” he said. “But 36 years.
which includes endorsements from there are a lot of officers of all races
national, city and state officers’ unions Bilal, who was elected as Philadel- of all backgrounds who feel he best “That’s how important this is,” Lynch
— some of which publicly endorsed phia’s first Black female sheriff last represents and supports the interests said to the crowd during an event
a political candidate for the first time. year, spoke at at an early October of law enforcement.” at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster,
He’s running on what he calls a “law news conference with other Black law New Jersey, telling the president:
and order” platform and tapping into enforcement groups in Philadelphia On the local level, police reform bills “You’ve earned this.”
a strain of anger and frustration felt to condemn Trump endorsements driven by protests against police bru-
by law enforcement who believe they and the process they say ignored their tality in the wake of Floyd’s killing During September's presidential de-
are being unfairly accused of racial concerns over what they perceived to have also stoked local unions’ en- bate, Trump ticked off the locations
discrimination. be racist remarks, support for white dorsements of candidates for state of- where he felt he had support from
supremacist groups and a lack of re- fices at higher rates this year — some law enforcement. “I have Florida,
There are more than 8,000 law en- spect for women from Trump. issuing endorsement for the first time I have Texas, I have Ohio,” he said.
forcement agencies in the U.S., with in decades. While many union lead- “Excuse me, Portland, the sheriff
large departments holding sway But national union leaders say the ers say the endorsements aren't based there just came out today and said, ‘I
nationally. The number of minor- process is designed to give everyone a on political parties, they have largely support President Trump.’”
ity officers in policing has more than voice and the endorsement represents been for Republicans challenging
doubled in the last three decades, but the majority of officers. The Fraternal candidates who have voted for what That sheriff — Multnomah County
many departments still have a smaller Order of Police represents close to unions call “anti-police” reform bills. Sheriff Mike Reese — quickly took to
percentage of Black and Hispanic of- 350,000 officers nationally, but does Philadelphia’s FOP Lodge 5 Presi- Twitter to deny any support.
ficers compared to the percentage of not track racial demographics. dent John McNesby said in a state-
the general population those com- ment that the group, which repre- Terrance Hopkins, president of the
munities make up. “I am a Black American and a Black sents 6,500 members, did not make an Black Police Association of Dal-
law enforcement officer," said Rob endorsement in the presidential race, las, said a handful of officers left the
Many fraternal Black police organi- Pride, the National Fraternal Order and deferred to its parent union’s en- Dallas Police Department’s largest
zations were formed to advocate for of Police chair of trustees. “It’s been dorsement. But members said that union, partly driven by its support for
equality within police departments emotionally a rollercoaster ride for despite being the largest lodge in the Trump, and had joined his organiza-
but also to focus on how law enforce- me since the George Floyd incident. state, they weren’t given a chance to tion.
ment affects the wider Black commu- It was horrific.” vote or be counted by the state or na-
nity. There have often been tensions tional delegates. “A lot of these officers feel like they
between minority organizations and Pride, who oversees the vote that aren't being considered. A lot of the
larger unions, like in August, when leads to the organization's presiden- Denouncing the endorsement pro- issues that push them to that point
the National Association of Black tial endorsement, says the May 25 cesses, The Guardian Civic League border along racial lines," Hopkins, a
Law Enforcement Officers issued police killing of Floyd in Minneapo- has asked its about 1,200 members to 30-year veteran officer, said. “And it's
a letter condemning use of deadly lis and the political climate “is tearing be prepared to withdraw their dues not just here. I got a call from some
force, police misconduct and abuse America apart” and having a similar from the national FOP, as has the Black officers in Kansas City, Mis-
in communities of color. effect on the FOP. Club Valiants of Philadelphia — an souri, who wanted to join my orga-
organization of more than 500 mi- nization because they don't have any
While support for the Republican in- National FOP leaders said they have nority firefighters — from the Local other outlet and they don't feel like
cumbent does not strictly fall along heard from members who don’t agree 22 of the International Fire Fighters they are being represented
racial lines, many Black officers say with the Trump endorsement — and and Paramedics Union. In endors-