Response To PBA president's Daryl Turner Statement
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
The president of the Portland Police Association, the police union, has released a statement arguing that those protesting for reforms of unjust systems of policing and criminal justice are to blame for the tragic killing of two NYPD officers.
As I said over the weekend, the murders of those two public servants were an attack on all Americans. PBA president Daryl Turner's rhetoric is reckless.
The PBA has been a long-time opponent of reform. The union has protected officers who have dishonored the Portland Police Bureau. There are too many examples of the PBA putting the union before the city of Portland and the civil rights of our citizens.
Officer Turner is free to express his opinions as a union representative. But we need leaders in Portland right now who respect civil rights, respect the citizens of this city, and are willing to begin the hard work of starting a process to bring reconciliation between police and the citizens they are sworn to protect.
I think all Portlanders recognize the sacrifice made by the Portland Police and we honor that. At the same time, we should not be disrespected as a city by the PBA president who is willing to tear Portland further apart when we need to be brought together to fix serious issues that impede justice in Portland.
Rev. Chuck Currie