--- Booker Hodges <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Everyone is always talking about the political power
> of the Minneapolis
> Police Federation. I would like to know what
> political power does the
> Federation actually have. As a person going into law
> enforcement I look
> forward to working some place that has a strong
> union in the labor sense but
> I just don’t understand why the Federation is
> considered such a powerful
> political power. For example: How many members of
> the Minneapolis Police
> Federation are able to vote in Minneapolis
> elections? How many voters does
> the Federation bring to the table? And most
> importantly in the political
> sense how much money does the Federation contribute
> to political campaigns?
> I would be willing to bet many members of the
> Federation don’t live in
> Minneapolis partially because they can’t afford the
> taxes. So the question
> still remains; Why is the Minneapolis Police
> Federation considered such a
> political power house?
>
I don't think they are considered a powerful political
force (as in the case of elections) within the city. I
do know from experience, in the Northwestern and
Western 'burbs their endorsement carry a lot of
weight. In the sense that this candidate is pro-law
and order.
Communities in the area I used to live in like Maple
Grove, Zimmerman and Elk River are communities where
Mpls cops are your neighbors and in my case at the
time, our State Representative.
In Minneapolis elections, the endorsement of
traditional Labor Unions at one time meant physical
support (lawn signs, phone calls, door knocks, lit
drops) and a little money. It also meant that your
race was then yours to lose. I'm not so sure that's
the case anymore. The Police Federation endorsement is
not really a grass-roots or physical boost to a local
campaign.
There is nothing wrong with a strong union- nothing at
all. The concern in the case of public servants, comes
from where does strong bargaining unit end, and
protectionist organization at all costs begin?
Many times the Cheif or the Mayor are blamed for rogue
cops still getting a check from taxpayers. SOME of
these times, the cops are protected because of their
Police Federation negotiated contract that forbids
decisive action, even in a deliberate, due process
manner.
The Federation takes the rapp because of the
perception that they could give a crap less about
community relations and only about protected their
members who are never in the wrong. It doesn't seem to
matter that these few rogues can and have tainted the
entire department, only that their (PF) members stay
on the force and never admit any wrong doing. In
politics, perception is reality.
You yourself, Booker, have been a witness to these
activities. This is from the October 1 issue of _One
Nation News_:
"I came outside and saw that they had him
handcuffed," said Booker T. Hodges, an NAACP member.
"There were three officers on him. One was choking
him and telling him to get in the car and the other
was kicking him. One of them kept shouting, 'Get in
the car,' but they were choking and kicking him so he
couldn't move."
I ask you, What has been done about this? You saw it.
Are the officers back serving and protecting? Are they
still on your tax rolls collect a paycheck and
pension? Why?
I'll stop here, we can talk about misuse of pension
funds and gambling schemes but, I don't like the idea
of pissing off that group. Not my fight, I'm not
looking to be a cop in Minneapolis.
Eric Mitchell
Saint Paul
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