In union news that is getting swift and sharp negative reaction from the very police officers they represent, at the 60th Biennial National Fraternal Order of Police Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, union officials voted to boycott a leading police officer rights website and its advertisers.
The union news follows a vote from Florida union officials who instituted a boycott of the Tampa-based website, LEOAFFAIRS.com earlier this year which angered the rank and file who believed at the time that instead of solving their problems, union officials were trying to shut them up.
Now national has followed Florida. And this police union news is spreading fast.
“The irony is that the same union officials that proposed the boycott are the ones that attacked their own membership on the boards,” writes one officer on LEOAFFAIRS.com after the vote was taken. “Once the tables are turned, they want a ‘boycott.’ That will motivate me to patronize those vendors even more.”
LEOAFFAIRS.com is one of the largest law enforcement websites in the world. It has over 500 law enforcement agencies online in 18 countries each with its own message board to allow officers to raise work related issues.
Earlier this year, officers criticized union officials in Miami, Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. Immediately after, union reps called for a boycott of the site.
In late July, Chip DeBlock, operating manager and co-founder of LEOAFFAIRS.COM, sent a letter to the FOP national president.
“Members… have been expressing their outrage over lodge presidents and officers supporting the boycott and failing to represent the very rights of law enforcement officers that they have sworn to protect,” wrote DeBlock, who is also a corporal and a member of the FOP for 25 years.
“I was recently informed that (the president) … of the Jacksonville FOP Lodge effectively threatened one of my advertisers to stop advertising with LEOAFFAIRS.COM if they wanted their products and services to be successful in Jacksonville. The advertiser did in fact stop their advertising on LEOAFFAIRS.COM as a result of this threat and we no longer receive compensation from them.”
DeBlock says he has consulted with a lawyer and is considering legal action.
LEOAFFAIRS.COM has been featured in The Washington Post and on MSNBC because of the role it has played in affecting positive change for officers over the last eight years.
“I am a firm believer that law enforcement officers need union representation,” DeBlock says, “but the public and officers could become confused if it appears that the FOP is attacking an officer rights website.”
Even before the vote, there was a flurry of postings from officers, which have been almost universally supportive of LEOAFFAIRS.COM.
“Board members who do not support freedom of speech should be turned out of office,” writes one officer. “Sadly I feel you were misinformed by our Union about what takes place here. This site has put pressure on those that are corrupt to the core to change.”
From another: “I reject your attempt to silence free speech — a cornerstone of the First Amendment to the Constitution. I find your attempt to do so by the use of boycott reprehensible.”
DeBlock says the response from officers makes the fight worth it.
Writes one officer: “Officers at the MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT wish to thank you for protecting our first amendment rights. I believe it is reckless forunions to silence officers from expressing their concerns and attempting to censoring their voices. This is wrong and we will bring this up against our Union for not allowing us members to have a say on such a ban.”
About LEOAFFAIRS.COM: LEOAFFAIRS.COM is one of the largest law enforcement websites in the world. It has over 500 law enforcement agencies online in 18 countries and boasts millions of hits per month. The site consists of an Officer Rights Website and Agency Message Boards that allow officers to talk about work related issues. It has directly influenced many positive contributions to law enforcement including shelters for the families of first responders during natural disasters in Tampa/Hillsborough County; the acquisition of carbine assault rifles for officers’ safety and the move to a 4 day work week for morale in St. Pete; the ability to carry guns, make arrests and receive training for Florida Probation & Parole officers and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office takeover of the Pahokee and Belle Glade police departments (at the request of the officers) to name a few.
MEDIA NOTE: Chip DeBlock is available for interviews. He is in Tampa. Please use the media contact below.
CONTACT:
Glenn Selig
PR Firm: The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220
Email:
ON THE WEB:
www.leoaffairs.com
Direct link: https://prnewschannel.com/2011/08/19/union-news-national-police-union-officials-vote-to-boycott-officers-rights-website-advertisers/SOURCE: LEOAFFAIRS.com
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