Page 5 - November 2019 FOP

CHICAGO LODGE 7
Official Magazine
President’s Report
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE CHICAGO LODGE #7
EXECUTIVE BOARD
KEVIN GRAHAM
President
PATRICK J. MURRAY
First Vice President
Martin Preib
Second Vice President
Jay R. Ryan
Third Vice President
Greg Bella
Recording Secretary
Michael P. Garza
Financial Secretary
John Capparelli
Treasurer
Dean C. Angelo, Sr.
Immediate Past President
Sergeants-at-Arms
William Burns James Jakstavich Michael Mette
Trustees
Harold Brown Andrew Cantore Mark Donahue William Dougherty Pat Duckhorn Sergio Escobedo Fernando Flores Joseph Gentile Danny Gorman Ken Hauser Rick King Frank Quinn Carlos Salazar Ron Shogren Mark Tamlo Daniel Trevino Michael Underwood
Field Representatives
Robert Bartlett Rich Aguilar
President Trump has us covered
I’m not big on putting myself on the cover of this magazine, but this was an occasion when I stood with pride on behalf of all Chicago Lodge 7 members.
The Secret Service and FBI were on the scene, securing the area while waiting for Air Force One to touch down when President Trump arrived in Chicago to speak at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference on Oct. 28. White House staff directed me to a spot on the tarmac a few feet from the staircase where the president walked down.
It wasn’t until everybody else walked away that I realized I would be the only person greeting the president. I can tell you that the exchange you see on the cover began with the president confirming that our presence and the work Chi-
cago Police Officers do has been recognized all the way to the White House. I think we can all take pride in his sincerity, especially considering the tweet he sent out a few days later saying, “Thank you” to “all of the great Chicago Police Officers I just had the privilege to meet.”
A month prior, National President Pat Yoes told me that President Trump was coming to IACP, and he asked me to represent the FOP. He told me not to say anything. I thought I was going to be in a line of people. Whenever I see people greeting him at the airport, it’s usually the governor, the mayor and that caliber of people, rather than a beat cop from Uptown.
I just thought I would be able to shake his hand. I did not prepare anything to say. But being the only one there, the president had a minute or two to chat.
He asked, “How are things here in Chicago?”
I responded, “Better now that you’re here.”
He liked that.
I missed the first 20 minutes of his speech because I got caught in traffic driving from O’Hare
to McCormick Place. I didn’t get to hear the president’s comments about the superintendent not being there. Some people asked me why I didn’t say something about that. I didn’t hear it, and I didn’t think it was appropriate to comment on something somebody else is telling you.
But I can tell you the superintendent could have done a number of things other than saying, “The values of the people of Chicago are more important than anything (President Trump) would have to say,” including not saying anything at all. For somebody who has been at pro- tests and rallies that were the subject of anti-police hatred, or whatever you want to call it, you sit there and take it.
He decided that this was his personal view and that he doesn’t hold the views of the city of Chicago. He has a right to his personal opinion. But that doesn’t stop you from doing your job, and part of his job was being in that room when President Trump spoke. That’s why the Lodge 7 board of directors, which I am part of, made the decision to submit a vote of no confidence in the superintendent. This is our position.
We were so impressed to hear President Trump include comments in his speech that osten- sibly supported our position. This brought a lot of credit to the Fraternal Order of Police. We have been working with Washington, the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to change the narrative of anti-police rhetoric, and to make sure our members have a fair shake when they are doing their jobs. And not having their rights trampled, which is what has hap- pened in the past. I think the president made the statement loud and clear.
It’s the men and women of the Department who put their lives on the line that is the real story. And from the moment he stepped onto the tarmac, President Trump made it clear how that’s his belief.
If only the president’s expression of respect would resonate with the City regarding our con- tract negotiations. As of this writing, the Chicago teachers were still on strike. We have been reassured that when their strike ends, the City has stated it will devote more time and resourc- es to getting our contract addressed.
KEVIN GRAHAM
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ NOVEMBER 2019 5