Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association president Steve Loomis said on May 27, 2015 that officers could be hesitant to draw their guns because the U.S.Department of Justice and City of Cleveland’s Consent Agreement requires an officer to complete a report each time he or she points a gun at a suspect.
The Cleveland Police was investigated for by the DOJ Civil Rights division for the second time in approximately 10 years, due to reports of police brutality and police abuse. The Consent Agreement will become legally binding once it is approved by a federal judge.
Steve Loomis told the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “There’s going to be a time when someone isn’t going to want to do that paperwork, so he’s going to keep that gun in its holster.” Mr. Loomis argues that because police are afraid of paperwork, they won’t use their gun in a legal defense of their own safety or lives or the safety and lives of others.
This is who is leading the Cleveland Police Union.
Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association president Steve Loomis criticized aspects of an agreement to reform the city’s police department, saying it could put officers in danger. (PD file photo)
As the murder rate climbs and arrests plummet in impoverished neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore Police Union leaders state that police are “afraid” to perform their law enforcement responsibilities, particularly in the West Baltimore neighborhood where Freddie Gray was arrested, and his spine and neck broken. Six Baltimore Police were arrested for charges ranging from murder to assault in response to police brutality in connection with his death.
After protests and subsequent arrests of those in the Baltimore Police indicted for criminal violence, there has been a reported “slow-down” of police activity in poor neighborhoods of West Baltimore. The AP interviewed Donnail Lee, who lives in the Gilmor Homes, the public housing complex where Gray, was arrested. Lee told the AP: “Before it was over-policing. Now there’s no police.” An additional 33 homicides have happened thus far this year, compared to last year statistics, including the murder of a 7-year old boy (Kester Browne III) and the shooting injury of another 9- year old boy (Eli Ebron). In the meantime, the Baltimore police have reduced arrests by 57 percent. Shootings involving children have increased 500 percent from last year.
On May 29, 2015, during the reported Baltimore police “slow-down,” a 7-year-old boy and his 31-year old mother were shot in the head and murdered.
The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) police union has made numerous inciteful comments after protests regarding the death of Mr. Gray. As previously reported the FOP called protesters a “lynch mob,” and the FOP also sought to remove the prosecutor who brought charges against the six police officers in this case. The FOP sought to have web-based fund-raiser for the six arrested police officers, which was removed by GoFundMe for being in violation of its policies not to host fund-raising for those arrested for violent offenses. The FOP has publicly stated they are not concerned about the “public’s confidence” in the investigation into the police officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death.
Baltimore Police Lieutenant Gene Ryan Says that Police are “Afraid” (Source: Baltimore Sun)
Now the Baltimore police union is rationalizing an increase in murders to fear among police to do their jobs. FOP union president and Baltimore Police Lieutenant Gene Ryan stated: “The criminals are taking advantage of the situation in Baltimore since the unrest. Criminals feel empowered now. There is no respect. Police are under siege in every quarter. They are more afraid of going to jail for doing their jobs properly than they are of getting shot on duty.”
On May 29, 2015, Newsweek reported that the federal “Justice Department will speak with Baltimore Police officers on Friday to make them more clearly aware of legal policies.”
As previously reported by R.E.A.L., former Baltimore Police Office Peter Moskos praised the slowdown efforts by Baltimore Police to avoid performing their job as police officers. On May 20, 2015, Peter Moskos stated that he viewed the Baltimore murder rate rise as “I attribute it almost exclusively to cops (for good reason) not doing any proactive police work.” Mr. Moskos now teaches students to become police at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
If we are to be responsible for equality and liberty, Americans must realize this problem is larger than Baltimore and more pandemic then individual extremists. Without an emphasis of respect for human rights and human dignity, our justice system itself will be corrupted by extremists who believe they are above the law, and who believe they have no responsibility to serve and protect all of our citizens.
In Saudi Arabia, a terrorist bombed the the minority Shia Imam Hussein mosque, the only Shia mosque in the region, resulting in four killed. This terrorist attack comes just a week after another device was detonated by ISIS terrorists in the nearby village of al-Qudeeh, killing 21 mostly Shia Muslims. The ISIS terrorist group since claimed responsibility for the attack on the Facebook page of member stating that a “soldier of the caliphate,” blew himself up among “an evil gathering of those filth in front of one of their shrines in Dammam.”
The four people were killed outside the Shia mosque, by the terrorist, reportedly dressed in a burka, who tried to drive into the mosque and kill worshipers, but was stopped by security. The terrorist detonated the bomb in the car while in the parking area outside of the women’s entrance to the mosque.
Saudi Arabia: ISIS Terrorist Attack on Minority Shia Imam Hussein mosque – Dammam (Source: Reuters)
Terrorist and extremist violence which seeks to deny our universal human rights, our human dignity, and religious freedom has no boundaries. It can strike anywhere against anyone of any faith. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) urges people of all faiths to stand together united for our shared Universal Human Rights and defy those terrorists of every kind who would deny us the inherent freedom that we share together.
