Police Deserve More than Respect – They Deserve Our Support

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.afscmeblog.org/2010/05/12/police-deserve-more-than-respect-they-deserve-our-support/?__utma=1.1847225545.1261531521.1274228901.1274404994.69&__utmb=1.1.10.1274404994&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1273198243.65.3.utmcsr=search|utmccn=%28organic%29|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=people&__utmv=-&__utmk=117339654


Several links in link above.

May 12th, 2010

President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation in 1962 designating May 9 to 15 as National Police Week and May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. Since then, the nation has formally honored those who lost their lives to protect us all.


2010 National Police Week (Courtesy of The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund)

This year, there’s something more that we can do for these courageous women and men: Encourage members of Congress to give public safety officers a federally protected right to bargain collectively.

AFSCME – which represents nearly 125,000 public safety officers nationwide (including nearly 30,000 police officers) – is urging Congress to pass the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 (H.R. 413/S. 3194). The legislation establishes minimum state collective bargaining standards for corrections officers, police, emergency medical technicians and firefighters.

Also high on AFSCME’s legislative agenda for public safety officers is increasing federal funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, which provides grants to hire police officers, improve law enforcement communications technology, and other initiatives.

Additional funding for COPS will help local law enforcement agencies across the country whose budgets are being cut or threatened with shortfalls, compromising public safety.

Too many law enforcement officers have lost their lives on the job. Let’s support the living while we honor the dead.

Learn more about AFSCME-represented law enforcement officers here. Also, check out the latest AFSCME research on law enforcement here.

[katandmoon]

1. Only if they earn it. And too many of them are power abusing pigs.

[Mz Pip]

4. Some are

most aren't.

I'm not about to condemn a profession that put their lives on the line every day because some of them are assholes.

Personally, I've been damn thankful for them and were glad they were around when they were.

[Lasher]

2. Correct, and we deserve theirs.

But it doesn't always work out that way.

[Skip Intro]

3. K&R. nt

[izquierdista]

5. They can earn mine

When they quit beating the shit out of the public.

[ingac70]

6. I'll give respect....

when they actually serve and protect.

[PM Martin]

7. Respect is a two way street.

They need to show us some.

[villager]

8. The ones that deserve it, deserve it. The others don't.

Simply because they're cops doesn't axiomatically make them better than the rest of us.

Sadly, there's a sizable percentage of cops who think this is the case...

On edit: By the way, I've personally known a few of those who do deserve it. One worked with neighborhood watch (when I did, as the "neighborhood" part), but eventually had to retire when a stress-induced stroke got him. He'd been involved in a harrowing shoot-out, and was never quite the same.

so yes, some absolutely deserve it.

But some absolutely abuse that trust, as well.

[stevedeshazer]

9. Steve, I support cops and the union. But a friend of mine was murdered by cops.

You can read about him here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Chasse

I agree with almost everything in your post, but I have to say that in Portland, my town, there have been problems with police power.

Police have a very important role in every community, but there has to be a balance.

Peace.

[Q3JR4]

10. While it is true that some police officers are horrible

human beings, I believe that the power to bargain collectively is a right that everyone should have.

Pointing out the existence of a few bad apples shouldn't be enough for us to ignore the plight of the rest of the workers in the field.

Just my two cents.

Q3JR4.