President's Message

Congratulations … we made it through 2020! There are a lot of memes and funny stuff going around about the year 2020, but 2021 will undoubtedly bring a new bunch of challenges to our city and our profession. Some things related to accountability and transparency of the Phoenix Police Department were left unfinished in 2020 and will still be a topic of public concern. We will most likely hear the same pre-written statements by the same activists who call into the City Council meetings with the same rhetoric of how our nation’s police are the worst thing in the world and should be abolished because the “community” knows a better way, etcetera. They will talk of defunding the police, overseeing the police department, destroying our contract, dispatching mental health professionals to emergency calls, shooting people in the leg, no bail, no arrest on minor crimes (anything else I’m missing?) and no rest until it is all accomplished. It would seem they have the money and politicians to make it happen. We can probably count on some new policies coming from Washington, D.C., in the upcoming year, too.

Our critics will never get us down, and PLEA will never stop representing its members.

As I author this on December 16, 2020, I am watching the formal City Council meeting and listening to the community comment portion of the meeting on our proposed contract. Over 20 “defund the police” people calling us murderers and saying that the council should not negotiate a contract that has any monetary increases or affords the membership with officer rights just so Phoenix police officers can continue to murder citizens at will. Unreal! These people will continue to lie and refuse to look at facts to get what they want. It is good that many of them do not take the time to look at City ordinances or state law but want to make emotional statements in the hope of guilting councilmembers into thinking our negotiation process is flawed. Our contract is obviously going to be the subject of activist outrage.

“Study the past if you would define the future.” This saying, attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, makes sense and can be applied to objectives for the new year. After 2020, we could not help but learn a few things. We now know who we can and cannot count on for support, from our Department, Phoenix City Council and the community. PLEA will continue to make an impact with our community, growing relationships that have proven so valuable over the years. Our profession is changing, nationally and locally, and we cannot forget that a large part of the call for change comes not just from politicians, but from the involved public who we work for. We will continue to work for a seat at the table in any process that involves changes to our existing officer rights to ensure fairness and expertise in those who would judge our actions. Transparency, trust and accountability should be recognized as needs that we should be working for in all aspects of our society, not just law enforcement. Our critics will never get us down, and PLEA will never stop representing its members. 

In closing, let us please remember our fallen, those of our own Blue Family and those across our nation. We must never forget the sacrifices of those that any one of us may be called to give. I hope that the new year brings health, wealth and happiness to you and your family.

Being introduced as a PLEA representative to new people, especially those involved in the political world, always provokes an explanation of what PLEA is and where our ideology guides us politically. Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to explain the functions and purposes of police labor associations to people. Most of them are very surprised when they learn we don’t fall in line with how the large civilian unions operate, especially when it comes time to vote.

I think that labor has always found its relationship with the Democratic Party to be respectable. Times have allowed for the nation’s largest labor unions to provide a platform for Democrats, leading to the thinking that all labor unions will vote for any Democratic candidate. This line of thinking is what I normally encounter when meeting new people, and it takes the most time to explain.

PLEA is nonpartisan and seeks to support candidates who are supportive of our profession.

PLEA is nonpartisan and seeks to support candidates who are supportive of our profession. Our association is composed of men and women who, regardless of their political party (if any), have unique needs as law enforcement professionals. Quite simply, our members’ needs are different than the needs of members of civilian unions, primarily because we are not civilians; our profession subjects us to rules and laws that do not apply in the private sector. We are also vilified by politicians, local leaders and, at times, our own leadership, and we cannot forget that.

Perfect political candidates do not exist. But there are some whose policies, ideals and past actions have shown that they are supportive of those who wear the badge. These are the candidates who we hope can build a course of action to benefit our profession for years to come because they believe in law and order and know that not just anyone can fill the shoes of a law enforcement professional. These are the candidates we support.

Professionally, we are in a time that has seen biased media and weak leadership allow us to be the subject of some politicians’ speeches at the podium. These politicians call for reform and the abolishment of policing while riding the wave of untruth and emotion, never settling to prove premise with fact. Educating those who participate in anti-police rhetoric of police policy is almost impossible, but it is extremely depressing when a politician cannot or will not listen. I can only think that these politicians value votes, not people.

In the last edition of the Law Enforcer, I mentioned our Political Action Committee (PAC), and I will again tell you that PAC donations are an investment in the future of your profession. Giving any amount to PAC will help elect those who believe #6690 in us and our endeavors to make our community safe.

If you follow our social media accounts or have looked at the PLEA website lately, you may have noticed that we have supportive statements from some of our state lawmakers along with letters of support from some Phoenix City Council members. These are the leaders who believe in you and what you do. Maybe sometime in the future we will have support from all political leaders who believe Americans deserve safe communities free of crime.

Election 2020 cannot come soon enough, and we hope everyone is able to participate. No matter the outcome, we will still be here taking care of each other and providing the best possible police service to our community.

The politics that control our profession should be a topic on everyone’s mind by now. In the past, it seemed that police officers, in general, wanted nothing to do with politics, and our members even wanted PLEA to stay out of the arena. Now, I think that our membership has proof all around them of how important political involvement is. Politics touch everything from our equipment to discipline and believe me, politicians are not going to increase pay or benefits out of the goodness of their hearts; that will always be through hard-fought negotiations. 

The political strategy employed by most police labor associations involves long-standing relationships with politicians who align with the needs of those associations. Those relationships are supposed to get “yes” votes, and everyone is happy. It’s easy enough to understand in the simplest form of the explanation, but nothing has been simple for the members of PLEA over the last two years.

I truly believe that our supporters are great in number, and once organized, will bring politicians back to reality.

PLEA has seen local politicians “flip” their vote at the last minute and cower to crowds of loud voices. Our mayor, along with three council members, have yet to answer the two letters I’ve sent requesting they denounce the “defund the police” movement. A Maricopa County attorney candidate wants to reopen old officer-involved shooting investigations to re-investigate them! The Arizona State Capitol contains lawmakers who have and will continue to present legislation that restricts police action and attacks the profession, such as a bill to strike qualified immunity for law enforcement officers and other laws to destroy police associations so that law enforcement professionals have no political voice.

I know … lots of negativity, but I mention these things because there is a political wave that is threatening not only our profession but the society that we are sworn to protect. Politicians are using lies and emotion in an attempt to turn the nation against its protectors, hoping that more and more of the people who don’t think for themselves will believe anything they see, hear or read. These blind followers are being used, and they don’t even realize they too will suffer. The goal is to divide the American people, and they are using race to do it.

What can be done, and how soon can we do it? There is no quick fix to this problem. We must be as tenacious as our opponents, and we all need to get involved right now. Keep in mind, the restrictions we face with most seated politicians involve their election cycles and terms, but this also provides an opportunity to gather information from the community and to study voting records.

Our most important and basic need is a healthy Political Action Committee (PAC). Funding from PAC will help to ensure we have politicians who understand our profession and are not afraid to stand up for us. Money is extremely important in an election, and PAC funds get things done. I would ask that every PLEA member donates money to PAC. PLEA cannot use dues money for PAC, so your donation must be separate. You can call the PLEA Office for more info. A small #10170 monthly donation of $10 or more would greatly assist in the political fight for your profession and your family.

If you aren’t already talking about the untruths that social, electronic and print media report about cops, start doing so. Talk with your friends and family and get them involved. It doesn’t matter where they live. They can help by writing letters, emails or calling into City Council meetings to support us. I truly believe that our supporters are great in number, and once organized, will bring politicians back to reality.

With a membership base as large and diversified as ours, we have many opinions and political views. Let’s not let this become a barrier between us. We should be supporting one another every day. Many of our members have been subjected to duty-related missions that others have not, and it is a source of frustration. If we can take a moment to understand what we, as a whole, are dealing with, we will be stronger for it. 

In the coming weeks, PLEA will be sending out a series of email messages to the membership, which will provide more detail about our progress and information on how to support our blue family to make the necessary changes within the political bodies that govern us.

We won’t quit, and if anything, we will improve. Your PLEA Board is proud to represent you, and we thank you for your dedication to the citizens of Phoenix.

The men and women of the Phoenix Police Department leave their homes and families each day to serve our community. For us, this job is not about recognition but protecting the community we call home. The past few weeks have been challenging for our community as we grapple with social injustice and racial prejudice. PLEA strongly opposes discrimination of any kind. Our officers uphold and enforce the law regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status or sexual orientation.

Time and time again, we have seen the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department manage and respond to a public crisis with grace and professionalism. This current challenge is no different, as they continue to provide safety and security for our entire community, including those who are seeking to disparage and eliminate police departments.

While some are calling to ‘defund police,’ the reality is that the Department is woefully underfunded and officers are underpaid.

Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about our police officers in recent weeks that needs to be corrected and addressed. First and foremost, our police officers are incredibly hardworking people who put their lives on the line each day for people they do not know. It takes a special type of person to be able to put service before self.

We believe in transparency and accountability. No one is above the law, period. If anyone, whether they are wearing the uniform or not, breaks the law, they should be held accountable. There are currently rigorous standards and procedures in place for officer misconduct. Our work is consistently and constantly scrutinized, and we believe this is important in order to increase the professional quality of our police force.

While some are calling to “defund police,” the reality is that the Phoenix Police Department is woefully underfunded and officers are underpaid. There were no wage increases from 2012 to 2019 as a result of the Great Recession, and we are still 450 officers short of our maximum staffing level in 2008, which was 3,385 officers. Bottom line: Our Phoenix police officers having been doing more with less as the population of the Phoenix metro area continues to skyrocket. Transparency and accountability require funding, body cameras require funding, crisis response teams require funding and ensuring rapid response times to emergency calls requires funding.

We are also on the brink of another crisis — officer retirement. Over 800 officers can retire immediately and another 465 can retire by 2024. That is more than 1,200 officers who are eligible to retire within the next four years. We need the resources to recruit, train and retain quality officers to keep every corner of the city of Phoenix safe.

One point that has been lost in the divisive rhetoric against police officers is how involved we are with our local community. Through PLEA Charities, we are focused on enhancing the quality of life in our communities by helping police officers in need, as well as assisting organizations and individuals within our communities. Since its inception, PLEA Charities has disbursed approximately $2.5 million to various causes such as fallen officer family support, at-risk youth programs, back-to-school drives, scholarships and Silent Witness rewards. PLEA Charities provides individuals and organizations with a charitable venue to meet the needs of rank-and-file police officers and their families. We allow for compassionate contributions to be invested back into communities, organizations, families and individuals that law enforcement protects and serves.

Our mission as an organization is to promote the positive role of the police profession, which we do each day by protecting the rights of law enforcement while also focusing on transparency, accountability and community engagement. We believe with more officers, resources and support, we can modernize the police force and expand our community outreach initiatives to meet the diverse needs of our community.

I think most people have heard the saying, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” I first heard the saying when I was in the Marine Corps, and it rang true for several situations, but not all.

Criticism, unlike toilet paper and hand sanitizer, is currently abundant in our country. Some of the criticism toward the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic may be just and some may not, but let’s take a look at our situation in Phoenix.

The preparedness of our Department directly affects the safety of our community.

I know it is extremely difficult to prepare for everything, but public safety should at the very least have the basics. When things got serious for us, what did we lack? N95 masks and hand sanitizer. Items normally taken for granted have suddenly become a hot commodity. Every patrol precinct had a deficit of these items and no one was on the same page as far as future supply was concerned. One assistant chief would say we had plenty, while another would say we had to order more. City Human Resources said we had everything we needed. This was not true, at least when this started. Regardless, police were still expected to perform normal functions in abnormal times, with or without personal protective equipment (PPE).

Conversations with other labor organizations in our city revealed they too were ill-equipped. So much so that some were willing to pay ridiculous prices for items that our employer should be providing when expecting their employees to work in dangerous conditions.

The example of the masks and sanitizer is only one picture in need of improvement should something like this occur in the future.

If we are required to serve our community in times of crisis, we should be equipped with all the tools to keep us safe while doing so. Police are exempt from ordered public safety precautions, which is expected. But, like other first responders, we too have families and loved ones who should not be subject to exposure because our employer was ill-equipped to provide both material and information key to our safety.

What lessons were learned? PPE stock should be first on the list for police supply and should reflect accurate employee numbers for an extended period of time. PLEA may also be able to solve some of the problems in future contracts.

The preparedness of our Department directly affects the safety of our community, and I hope our City Council recognizes that.

Please stay safe and healthy.

The topic of the creation of a civilian review committee for our city is something that has been at the forefront of our minds at PLEA. In an attempt to better understand a model of review that would actually work for the benefit of our membership and the community, we have been in touch with numerous cities, police departments, police labor associations and political figures. We have found that no perfect model exists. Room for argument and accusation remains in many cities and departments that implemented civilian review, the complete opposite of what I am sure was the best intention of those communities. Is there a way to satisfy everyone?

When a person attends a City Council meeting, addresses the council from the podium and speaks for their community, they are speaking for their personal definition of community, not the entire population of a locality. I believe that “community” should be recognized as being made up of the people who live in and provide service to a populated area, all working together to create optimal living conditions. Is it possible to define community as a singular group? A city the size of Phoenix is diverse in race, religion, politics and interests, and people aligned with a single aspect of this diversity can influence the people of another aspect. Of course, the confidence we have in elected leadership is recognition of all moving parts when making an unbiased decision that should be for the welfare of all. It seems to be an almost impossible task, however, to make one decision that is good for everyone.

A diverse population makes a community of varied cultures and thought, and the community is governed by law that should be fair to all, allowing for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” We will never see legislation that will be absolutely void of question or conflict. I have seen the legislative process firsthand, and I can say that influence, not intellect, is the best tool to have when pushing a bill to become law. A law can help one group of people and hurt another, and so can establishing any process based on influence and not truth.

A community benefiting plan made by one group will benefit only that group if the others have been excluded from the planning.

Some people may think that Phoenix is one community in which everyone has the same needs, but that would be wrong. We are different people with different ideas of how to live our lives, as it should be. Live and let live. But, regardless of your group, everyone needs to follow some rules that apply to all. Phoenix police officers are a group within the community of Phoenix. Our esteemed role in the community is to enforce laws and provide services that enhance the quality of life for all Phoenix residents, our community. The unique thing about the cop job is that we must enforce the same law to different people and cultures within our community, which can lead to misunderstanding if there is no familiarity with a certain law. Then there are those in the community who willingly break the law and prove harmful to others. When some of those lawbreakers are caught, they want to point fingers and try to do anything to deflect and disassociate themselves from their actions. This causes another hurdle in the justice system. Many police officers feel the community should also be held responsible when a false or misleading claim is made against an individual officer. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Police Department does nothing for an officer’s personal reputation, such as filing charges for a false complaint, even when the officer has been cleared of a false allegation. PLEA has tried to find a remedy for complaints of this type in the most recent and previous contracts. However, we’ve been told “it will have a chilling effect” on those trying to report misconduct. It should have a “chilling effect” when someone intends to file a blatantly false allegation! As it stands, as a police labor organization, it looks like we will need to find a way to change that on our end.

Existing systems can and should be improved, but when necessary. The integration of civilians in the review and discipline system the Phoenix Police Department has had for so many years works for us. Can the process be improved? Sure. But every group making up our community, even police officers, should be involved and given equal input and consideration.

No one person or governing body can say or decide what is in the best interest of a diverse group of almost two million people without reaching out to representatives of each group. A community benefiting plan made by one group will benefit only that group if the others have been excluded from the planning.

Being hopeful, we at PLEA are ready to see what the City Council actually thinks will benefit those members of the Phoenix community who enforce the law. This decision will last in the minds of the new generation of officers for their entire career.