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Claudia Lauer reports to the Associated Press that Police unions across the country have been very supportive of Trump’s re-election., amid mass demonstrations for police brutality and accusations of systemic racism. However, several black law enforcement officers are speaking out against these endorsements, saying their concerns about entering the 2020 political race were ignored.
Trump has touted his support of the law enforcement community, which includes some unions that publicly endorsed a political candidate for the first time. He is running on what he calls a “law and order” platform and tapping into a tension of anger and frustration felt by law enforcement officers who believe they are being unfairly accused of racial profiling.
The number of minority officers in the police force has more than doubled in the past three decades, but many departments still have a lower percentage of black and Hispanic officers compared to the percentage of the general population that make up those communities.
Many fraternal black police organizations were formed to advocate for equality within police departments, but also to focus on how law enforcement affects the broader black community. There have often been tensions between minority organizations and larger unions, as in August, when the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers issued a letter condemning the use of deadly force, police misconduct and abuse in communities of color.
While support for the Republican incumbent is not strictly based on racial lines, many black officials say that endorsement of Trump does not fairly represent all dues-paying members.
“We are members of these unions and they don’t take our feelings about Donald J. Trump into consideration, so they don’t care about us and … they don’t care about our dues,” he said. Rochelle Bilal, the recent former president of the Guardian Civic League of Philadelphia, called Trump’s endorsement of the National Fraternal Order of Police an “outrage.”
Bilal, who was elected as Philadelphia’s first black sheriff last year, spoke at a news conference Friday with other black police groups in Philadelphia to condemn Trump’s endorsement and the process that they said ignored their concerns about him. that they perceived as racist comments, support for white supremacist groups and the lack of respect for Trump’s women.
But national union leaders say the process is designed to give everyone a voice and support represents the majority of leaders. The Fraternal Order of Police represents about 350,000 officers nationwide, but does not track racial demographics.
“I am an African American and a black law enforcement officer,” he said. Rob’s pride, the Chair of Trustees of the National Fraternal Order of Police. “It has been an emotional roller coaster for me since the George Floyd incident. It was horrible “.
Pride, which oversees the vote leading to the organization’s presidential endorsement, says Floyd’s May 25 police assassination in Minneapolis and the political climate “are tearing America apart” and having a similar effect on the FOP.
“We could probably have an hour-long conversation about why some people feel that President Trump is racist and why others disagree,” he said. “But there are many officers of all races of all backgrounds who feel that he best represents and supports the interests of law enforcement.”
