“WHO REALLY WANTS POLICE REFORM?”

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #269

How can we tell who really wants police reform? Here is a test: no one who supports police unions as they now exist can really want police reform. Why is that? Because most of those in law enforcement will tell you that police unions are the reason why the “bad apples” can’t be fired. So even if a chief of police boldly wants to reform police practices and get rid of the ones like Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who had 17 official complaints on his record, they are simply not able to do so because of the power of police unions. Similarly, his ostensible accomplice Tou Thao was still on the force after six accusations and a lawsuit for excessive force, and Garett Rolfe, who was the Atlanta officer who shot and killed Rayshawn Brooks, had 12 incidents on his record, including a written reprimand for excessive use of force with a gun. Under today’s realities, none of those officers could be fired. Even liberal President Franklin D. Roosevelt was against public employee’s unions, and we should be too.

How can this be allowed to exist? Simple: campaign money. No group cares more about who is elected to city councils, county boards of supervisors, district attorneys and even judges than the police unions. Why? Because those officials oversee the conduct of the police. So the unions funnel large amounts of money into those campaigns, and let be known that if these people, once elected, make it hard on the unions to protect all of their members no matter what, that money not only will not be available, it will most likely be provided to their opponents in future elections. So what is the answer? Pass legislation that no one running for any of those oversight positions may accept any campaign money or favors from police unions whatsoever. None. But good luck in getting that legislation passed. .

Quote for the week: “I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs. But I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.”