On November 27th, NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson was interviewed for a Washington Times article entitled, “Police hopeful Donald Trump will usher in new era of respect for law enforcement”.
The article discusses how police across the country are hoping that under President Trump there will be stronger support for law enforcement and recognition of the difficult jobs officers do day in and day out. Johnson pointed out that who the President-elect nominates to fill certain key appointments will impact the relationship between the federal government and state and local law enforcement.
“Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, said his group will be looking for strong allies within the Justice Department.
‘Whoever is in charge of the Civil Rights Division, they must have close and trusted relationships with police officers and agencies,’ he said. ‘The Obama administration failed miserably in that regard.’”
Johnson went on to state that the policies supported and advocated by the Trump Administration will also be key to changing the attitude towards our nation’s police officers.
“The National Association of Police Organizations is among those urging Mr. Trump to support legislation on a national level that would make the murder or attempted murder of a police officer a federal crime.
‘At one level it would send a powerful message that this president is saying this Justice Department is different — they stand up for the men and women of law enforcement,’ Mr. Johnson said. ‘Given the current climate and the tacit support by the administration of these violent protests, that would be a powerful change.’
Adding federal prosecutors to the equation would also bring resources beyond those of state or local attorneys, he said.”
The full article is available online.