In a statement Tuesday, "the union" representing local officers pushed back on a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department decision to hire a customer-service consultant to improve interactions with the public.
Cedar's Take:
Lets stop right here. We all recognize that the media has become such a pile of Bull Shit and Fake News but come on - CMPD Officers are not represented by a Union. Full Stop!
And what is up with the Andrew "George Floyd" Brown, Jr. photo? What does that have to do with CMPD?
Even Joe Bruno who is normally a pretty smart guy jumped into the stupid boat.
CMPD Officers are not NOT Unionized which is why they have to put up with endless BS like "customer appreciation training".
Chief Johnny Jennings told the Observer in an interview last week that CMPD would pay The DiJulius Group $60,000 to help his department address a nationwide loss of public trust.
Company founder John DiJulius said in a statement Friday that he was excited to be part of Jennings’ “incredible vision at revolutionizing policing.”
However, some of the officers who will be trained late summer in the techniques of the company’s “customer-service revolution” sounded a far different note Tuesday.
In its statement, the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police said Jennings and CMPD are wasting money that would be better spent on officer morale, retention and hiring, and other pressing internal issues.
“Furthermore, the DiJulius Group, while a company with substantial experience, has never worked with a police department. We fear they will make changes that are not concurrent with the law, putting officers and the community at risk,” the statement said.
“... Unfortunately, cordial engagement during an arrest is not likely to be reciprocated. When it comes to compliance with the law, the ‘customer’ is not always right.”
In response, police spokesman Rob Tufano said in an email to the Observer that CMPD’s development of a “world-class customer service approach to policing” will benefit both the community and “every member of the department.”
FOP members will help develop the training curriculum, which will be taught solely by CMPD officers, Tufano said.
Charlotte chief says trust in police is the worst he’s ever seen. But he has a plan.
Police accountability
The public rift between Jennings and his rank and file comes as the country continues to debate how police officers use deadly force, particularly against minority communities.
Last Wednesday, a former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of murder in the killing of George Floyd, whose death in May set off angry but mostly peaceful protests in Charlotte and around the country.
Within hours of that verdict, the attention of North Carolina and much of the nation had swiveled east to Elizabeth City, where officers fatally shot Andrew Brown during the serving of a warrant. Witnesses said Brown was unarmed at the time and attempting to leave the scene in his car.
Autopsy shows ‘kill shot’ to Brown, attorney says. Ministers declare ‘moral emergency.’
On Friday, a new Washington Post-ABC poll found that 6 in 10 Americans say the country should do more to hold police accountable for mistreating Black people, despite how those measures interfere with how officers do their jobs.
The level of concern represents a slight drop from the height of the Floyd protests last summer. But it remains at its highest level since 1988, The Post reported.
“All you have to do is turn on the TV or read the newspaper,” Jennings said in his Observer interview Thursday. “Trust is at a very low level, the lowest I’ve seen in my 29-year career.”
According to the FOP statement, public trust is only one of the issues now facing North Carolina’s largest law enforcement agency, and that the money earmarked for customer training should be spent on internal needs such as morale, retention and officer health and safety.
In the last months, according to the statement, 26 officers have voluntarily resigned
“At this rate, CMPD is losing more officers than it can replace and its ability to respond to emergencies suffers as a result. Retaining talented officers within the department is just as important as providing training when it comes to achieving positive outcomes in our community.”
Prominent Charlotte attorney George Laughrun, who frequently represents police in criminal and internal matters, said the low morale at CMPD may be affecting police work.
“I can’t tell you when’s the last time Charlotte had a DUI stop. People sure haven’t stopped drinking,” said Laughrun, who has practiced law in Charlotte for 40 years. “There’s not a whole lot of proactive police work going on right now. And the bad guys know what’s going on. “
On its website the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter says it represents more than 2,000 municipal, state and federal law enforcement officers around Mecklenburg County.
18 comments:
Think about those heroes that lost their lives in Watauga County yesterday! Think about the heroes that tried to rescue the downed officer! Look around you, at the people you work with, who is willing to risk that for you? We have to take care of each other! The command staff and the city are not going to!
It doesn't surprise me the both WSOC and the Observer think CMPD Officers are represented by a union. These are the same people who think we should withdraw and just go away anytime a suspect refuses to be arrested or has barricaded themselves in a house.
Got to ask yourself is this worth it? Those two guys in Boone expected just another day and not the end of their lives. They were set up. If it can happen there you know it is only a matter of time here.
And if you are working for some racist certain captain with a racist command staff backing him up it ain't worth it. You are kidding yourself if you think anyone of those black racists are going to cover your six or risk their lives to save you. A dozen years ago I'd trust everyone of them no more. Black national anthem Black history month Black Chamber of Commerce Black City Council and Command staff. Tell me who is the racist now?
No one is asking who are the next white deputy chiefs because there aren't any. Ain't gonna be any.
1207 I agree with you.
I have not respected or trusted CMPD for about 8 years. I think they are all liars even the white guys, too. (cough Campagnia) People were just holding on until retirement. Now, its just the trash off the streets as cops.
They hired a homeless man to be a cop. They gave him a gun and authority to enter people's homes and he doesn't have a home. They hired an illegal immigrant that was the size of a child. He was a liar, too.
The FOP can protest but the result is always the same. Remember when they asked for more money to CC?
Oh yeah...and the "I quit" letter. Well it looks like there are 1000 that didn't quit and I'm sure it is even worse now.
I'm thankfully on the outside looking in. First heart felt condolences to all at WCSD and their families. Second thank you CMPD for being there everyday your service and the risks you take does not go unnoticed.
From I see the chief is sucking up to the wrong people. His salary is not paid by drug dealers and those civil rights "lawyers" or the Al Sharpton's of the world. If he doesn't clean up Charlotte the corporate world will notice and move on in short order. White flight is already well underway.
Joe Bruno is an idiot! The Andrew Brown, Jr. guy was a good shoot he backed straight at officers at full throttle with the intent to kill anyone in his way. Release the damn videos I don't care how graphic it is, or about the language, they should show it all and maybe these coons would stop resisting!
Customer service needs to start at the top where the priority should be to lead by example! Garnes
Garnes
Speaking of customer service, is the fat slob McGarity still wearing shorts and flip-flops to work while on light duty in direct violation of policy?
I think something is a miss here? This customer service group is all white? I'm not sure what will be learned about customer service from a bunch of privileged, white people?? And this whole union thing, Dimple and Braxton started that when they started requesting from CMPD all of the "union" information and how the "union" keeps bad officers from being fired and prosecuted. And then they wanted CMPD to provide them the "union" membership roles as well as what the costs were associated with this etc.
9:08 I'm thinking the same thing.
Somewhere between asking permission to arrest people of color or zero traffic stops and stop and frisk there should be some middle ground.
But the first move is got to be the Black Community has to start saying STOP RESISTING!
All of these notable cases with few exceptions are avoidable if they did not resist. PERIOD!
Command should learn from the US Marshals Service silence not a word zero. Same with the Capitol Police notice they say nothing.
Trouble is these white shirts want to be all warm and fuzzy and it is away their undoing.
Just shut up about it.
Keep them 3 years and get new ones, Cops. Good way to save money also, build them up and then destroy their outlook on the World.
Let Garnes lead by example!
They need to let McGarity lead by example with his flip-flops and shorts while on indefinite light duty. He really represents the department very well, doesn't he?
Bruh? You have some serious issues with his flip flops and shorts. Why don’t you focus on the city wasting money on this PR firm? Can anyone tell me If DC Patterson ever worked on patrol? Unless you black she attacks you and shows no respect. Shameful
She was in patrol about two years or so. She spent most of her career at the academy as an in-service instructor but I never saw her instruct anything.
Pledge fund?
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