PAX Centurion - Summer 2017

Page 38 • PAX CENTURION • Summer 2017 617-989-BPPA (2772) BOSTON POLICE PATROLMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. 295 FREEPORT STREET H BOSTON, MA 02122-3513 H T/617.989.2772 H F/617.989.2779 H www.bppa.org Patrick M. Rose President Michael F. Leary Vice President Christopher J. Broderick Secretary Robert P. Colburn Treasurer Lawrence A. Calderone Legislative Agent UNITY & STRENGTH H THE NATION’S FIRST POLICE DEPARTMENT BOSTON POLICE PATROLMEN’S ASSOCIATION, INC. 295 FREEPORT STREET H BOSTON, MA 02122-3513 H T/617.989.2772 H F/617.989.2779 H www.bppa.org Patrick M. Rose President Michael F. Leary Vice President Christopher J. Broderick Secretary Robert P. Colburn Treasurer Lawrence A. Calderone Legislative Agent UNITY & STRENGTH H THE NATION’S FIRST POLICE DEPARTMENT Commissioner William Evans 1 Schroeder Plaza Boston, MA 02120 Commissioner, please accept the following letter in the spirit of partnership, it is not a condemnation of your recent statements, it is however an attempt to show you how your comments and words are received by a great number of our members, who happen to be MilitaryVeterans. I write to you today to express the frustration and anger expressed by a large percentage of our membership over your recent and repeated comments concerning United States MilitaryVeterans. Although we understand that you are attempting to answer questions concerning the “Diversity” within the Boston Police Department, we feel that you have made a habit of laying the blame of the ‘lack of diversity’at the feet of our MilitaryVeterans. Comments such as: “Veterans are a ‘barrier’to persons of color attempting to get on the BPD” or that “Veteran’s Preference hinders police diversity” are not only untrue and a myth, they are creating an atmosphere of mistrust, (of the Command Staff), within our own ranks, hurts morale and serves no legitimate purpose.Your recent interviews and quotes both locally and nationally have been received by many of our members as an outright attack upon their Military Service and themselves Personally. The fact that there is not a single MilitaryVeteran within the ranks of your command staff speaks volumes to these feelings. To use the Cadet Program, (which exists and gives preference to cadets for hiring into the BPD as sworn Officers; solely due to the BPPA Collective Bargaining Agreement), as a mechanism to counteract Veteran’s Preference is both sickening and a violation of trust with whom the program was originally developed with.Your direct quote: “The whole idea of the Cadets is to basically counteract the absolute Veteran’s Preference, which seems to be all white,” adds to the opinion by many that you are ‘Anti-Veteran.’ We agree that Diversity in ALL aspects ensures a more balanced and sociably acceptable Police Department. We fully understand how important it is to be a reflection of the society that we police, which certainly helps with ‘community policing.’However, to single out one group such as MilitaryVeterans as the deterrent to change within this department is wrong. When the Department saw a need for gays; they recruited directly in the gay community. When the Department saw a need to increase the female ranks; they targeted females in their recruiting efforts. When the Department saw a need for bilingual Officers; they targeted bilingual persons. Why not use Veteran’s Preference to identify and specifically recruit Veterans of color. I can assure you that there are thousands of qualified men and woman; Veterans of color within this City. Go to the local VFW’s, go to the local AMVETS Post, target recruit them as you would any other sought after person. Offer prep classes for the exam, as has been done in the past. Make them a priority and we believe they will show interest. We are also aware of the current (and resurgent) fear among some in law enforcement that all Veterans are “ticking time bombs.” Please do not get caught up in this national movement that is discriminating against our MilitaryVeterans. The absolute MYTH that all our Veterans are running around with some form of PTSD or hidden psychological scars developed during war, that will somehow emerge or manifest themselves during police work is ridiculous. In today’s litigious society, some law enforcement leaders and managers have made liability avoidance into a science and an administrative art form. Some leaders and managers are allowing their ‘police smarts’ and common sense to be overruled by legal staffers (who should be interpreting laws and recommending legal policies not making decisions). This trend actually started post-Vietnam and has had a resurgence in popularity by the anti-war crowd of late. Please do not become one of these narrow-minded police leaders that allows their judgement to be shaped by anti-war media zealots or attorneys so wrapped up in what might happen than that of what is happening. I along with many of our members, are more than willing to assist this department in recruiting qualified MilitaryVeterans of color to help truly diversify this department. I believe that every Union within the Boston Police Department would wholeheartedly join us in this endeavor if requested by you or the Mayor. I am willing to make our Union Hall, in Dorchester, available for recruitment seminars or preparatory classes for those Veterans. What we are asking is simple; please stop the rhetoric and feeding into media misinformation concerning our MilitaryVeterans. Please stop giving credence to the misinformed with your continued statements concerningVeteran’s Preference in Massachusetts. Join us as we celebrate our Veterans and thank God that they have all been there to protect EVERYONE’S freedom. Respectfully, Patrick M. Rose, President, Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association BPPA President Patrick Rose questions Commissioner on diversity & veteran’s preference