Latest news with #FOP
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Democratic city officers flocking to cop-friendly red states, police leader claims: ‘Why would anyone stay?'
Law enforcement officers in areas primarily run by Democrats continue to flock to red states for job security, better pay and bosses who will back them up, according to one police leader. Joe Gamaldi is the national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He is an active lieutenant with the Houston Police Department, and he said police in blue cities are tired of facing hostility from local leaders. Advertisement 'What we've seen is really a mass exodus of police officers leaving far-left cities for basically greener pastures,' he told Fox News Digital. 'Because, ultimately, people want to feel appreciated for what they do, and when you have a boss — in this case, mayors or city councils, who regularly call you a piece of crap to the public — why would anyone stay?' Florida is one example of a Republican-led state that has benefited from the mass departures. 5 'What we've seen is really a mass exodus of police officers leaving far-left cities for basically greener pastures,' Joe Gamaldi said. AP Advertisement According to a 2024 statement from former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the state welcomed 5,000 law enforcement recruits between 2022 and last year, and 1,200 of them came from out of state. 'Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation because we back our blue,' Moody said at the time. 'We've been spreading the word about all the great incentives to join our ranks, and individuals like the new Sarasota recruits have answered the call, leaving behind places where their service was not as appreciated as it is here.' She said she was 'as inspired as ever to continue doing all we can to show our support to those who bravely protect and serve' after seeing the influx of police officers into the state. 5 Florida welcomed 5,000 law enforcement recruits between 2022 and last year, and 1,200 of them came from out of state. Fox News Digital Advertisement Gamaldi said officers are also moving to cities that may lean blue but are in red states and still have the support of elected leadership and the community, adding officers are 'voting with their feet.' 'We're also seeing it [in] Texas in Houston, which is a city that leans a little blue, but they have been supportive of police officers,' he said. 'The mayor there has given a massive raise to police officers. You're seeing officers go there. You're seeing officers go to Dallas. So, you're seeing all these communities, and there's one common thread. It's 'We support police officers.'' Gamaldi emphasized that the trend began after the 2020 defund the police movement and said, in many cities, law enforcement officers are afraid to do their jobs in 'critical incident' situations, even when they do them by the book. 5 Gamaldi said officers are also moving to cities that may lean blue but are in red states and still have the support of elected leadership and the community. LightRocket via Getty Images Advertisement 'I think you can look no further than Seattle, Portland, Chicago [and] New York,' he said. 'All of these cities have basically told their police officers, 'We don't support you. We're not gonna be there for you when you need us. We're gonna try to defund you when given the opportunity.' 'I mean, my goodness, right now, one of the mayoral candidates for New York has actively said he wants to defund and dismantle the police department,' Gamaldi said, referring to socialist Zohran Mamdani, who has been open with his anti-police rhetoric. 5 'I mean, my goodness, right now, one of the mayoral candidates for New York has actively said he wants to defund and dismantle the police department,' Gamaldi said Zohran Mamdani /X Blue cities, Gamaldi said, are worse off for driving out their police forces. 'Look at the mass exodus of experience in solving cases and experience of just mentoring the next generation of police officers,' he said. 'I mean, the damage that was done in 2020 with the defund the police movement, rhat's going to reverberate for decades. You don't just recover from something like that when you have all of that experience walking out the door.' 5 Gamaldi emphasized that the trend began after the 2020 defund the police movement. Christopher Sadowski He also pointed to better pay and other financial perks, like cities covering moving expenses, as reasons law enforcement officers are moving away from far-left areas. Ultimately, he posed a question to those who patrol the streets where they are unappreciated, saying, 'Why not leave?' Advertisement 'To anyone watching this right now,' Gamaldi said, 'if your boss was constantly telling you [that] you're doing a horrible job, and, in addition, if you were following the exact policies, training and the law of your job, and yet they are still demonizing you, still throwing you under the bus, still trying to indict you, why the hell would you stay?'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blue city officers flocking to cop-friendly red states, police leader says: ‘Why would anyone stay?'
Law enforcement officers in areas primarily run by Democrats continue to flock to red states for job security, better pay and bosses who will back them up, according to one police leader. Joe Gamaldi is the national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He is an active lieutenant with the Houston Police Department, and he said police in blue cities are tired of facing hostility from local leaders. "What we've seen is really a mass exodus of police officers leaving far-left cities for basically greener pastures," he told Fox News Digital. "Because, ultimately, people want to feel appreciated for what they do, and when you have a boss — in this case, mayors or city councils, who regularly call you a piece of crap to the public — why would anyone stay?" Defund Movement Faces 'Absolute Rejection' As Murders Drop And Police Budgets Climb: Law Enforcement Group Florida is one example of a Republican-led state that has benefited from the mass departures. Read On The Fox News App According to a 2024 statement from former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the state welcomed 5,000 law enforcement recruits between 2022 and last year, and 1,200 of them came from out of state. "Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation because we back our blue," Moody said at the time. "We've been spreading the word about all the great incentives to join our ranks, and individuals like the new Sarasota recruits have answered the call, leaving behind places where their service was not as appreciated as it is here." She said she was "as inspired as ever to continue doing all we can to show our support to those who bravely protect and serve" after seeing the influx of police officers into the state. Gamaldi said officers are also moving to cities that may lean blue but are in red states and still have the support of elected leadership and the community, adding officers are "voting with their feet." "We're also seeing it [in] Texas in Houston, which is a city that leans a little blue, but they have been supportive of police officers," he said. "The mayor there has given a massive raise to police officers. You're seeing officers go there. You're seeing officers go to Dallas. So, you're seeing all these communities, and there's one common thread. It's 'We support police officers.'" Gamaldi emphasized that the trend began after the 2020 defund the police movement and said, in many cities, law enforcement officers are afraid to do their jobs in "critical incident" situations, even when they do them by the book. "I think you can look no further than Seattle, Portland, Chicago [and] New York," he said. "All of these cities have basically told their police officers, 'We don't support you. We're not gonna be there for you when you need us. We're gonna try to defund you when given the opportunity.' Trump Backs Local Police In New Executive Order, Rebukes Democrat Crime Policies That Sowed 'Chaos' Across Us "I mean, my goodness, right now, one of the mayoral candidates for New York has actively said he wants to defund and dismantle the police department," Gamaldi said, referring to socialist Zohran Mamdani, who has been open with his anti-police rhetoric. Blue cities, Gamaldi said, are worse off for driving out their police forces. "Look at the mass exodus of experience in solving cases and experience of just mentoring the next generation of police officers," he said. "I mean, the damage that was done in 2020 with the defund the police movement, rhat's going to reverberate for decades. You don't just recover from something like that when you have all of that experience walking out the door." He also pointed to better pay and other financial perks, like cities covering moving expenses, as reasons law enforcement officers are moving away from far-left areas. Ultimately, he posed a question to those who patrol the streets where they are unappreciated, saying, "Why not leave?" "To anyone watching this right now," Gamaldi said, "if your boss was constantly telling you [that] you're doing a horrible job, and, in addition, if you were following the exact policies, training and the law of your job, and yet they are still demonizing you, still throwing you under the bus, still trying to indict you, why the hell would you stay?"Original article source: Blue city officers flocking to cop-friendly red states, police leader says: 'Why would anyone stay?'
Daily Mirror
06-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Inside the human remains museum with preserved bodies and woman turned into soap
More than 100,000 curious visitors each year flock to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, which dates back to 1849. It was originally a small collection of medical teaching aids, including human remains A medical museum that's home to jars of stillborn fetuses and skulls from the 1800s is drawing in thousands of visitors annually - despite ethical concerns about a "power-imbalance." The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, established in 1849, has become a magnet for over 100,000 tourists each year. Initially, it was a modest assembly of specimens for medical education, featuring actual human remains. In 1859, the museum was named after Dr Thomas Dent Mutter, a Philadelphia physician educated in Paris. He donated his collection of preserved human remains, plaster casts, wax models, and illustrations to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. During a time when modern imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans were non-existent, this collection served an "important purpose" by helping doctors understand the physical manifestations of various diseases. There is an extensive collection of 6,483 human remains, with 486 on display, including the "Soap Lady", who was unearthed from a Philadelphia graveyard and believed to have succumbed to the yellow fever epidemic in the 1790s. She was buried in soil with chemical properties that turned her into soap. Another intriguing exhibit is the story of Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins from the 19th century who were treated as "curiosities" during their lifetime. The museum's most notable recent acquisition is the skeleton of Carol Orzel, who suffered from Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), a rare condition where soft tissues ossify. Sara Ray, PhD, Senior Director of Interpretation and Engagement at the Mütter Museum, said the remains range from "small tissue samples to tumours, fetal remains and entire skeletons." She told The Mirror: "The Mütter Museum houses an extensive collection of 6483 human remains, with 486 of these on display, including small tissue samples, tumours, fetal remains, and entire skeletons. A significant portion of these remains were obtained through surgical procedures or autopsies, while some teaching skeletons were sourced from commercial suppliers in Europe." Staff at the museum must regularly monitor the conditions in order for the human remains to be preserved. Erin McLeary, PhD, Senior Director of Collections and Research, said: "Our most important tool for the ongoing preservation of our collections is cool, dark, and humidity-controlled conditions. "Staff monitors the collection regularly, ensuring that specimens preserved in ethanol or other preservative fluids are well sealed, that dried preparations are stored or displayed in a way that protects them from vibration, and that our large collection of wax models illustrating skin diseases is protected from exposure to temperature swings." However, the museum has faced scrutiny regarding the ethics of showcasing human remains from individuals who never provided consent for their bodies to be used in scientific research. The bulk of the museum's human remains date back to the period between 1850 and 1940. It's worth noting that, as per the museum's explanation, the concept of "consent" within the medical field wasn't formally established as a bioethical principle in the United States until 1979. Additionally, the museum recognised the "power imbalance" prevalent in patient-physician relationships during that era, where patients would typically receive medical treatment either in hospitals or at home, with the understanding that, in the event of their passing, their bodies might be utilised for medical studies as a form of "repayment." According to experts: "While it's true that people never consented to donating their bodies to science, it's because this specific language – and set of expectations between patient and physician – did not exist then in the same way as now. "But that doesn't mean the Museum today does not have an ethical obligation to the people whose remains it holds. It just means that "consent," as a specific bioethical principle, isn't the right framework. So where does that leave us? Fortunately, historians of medicine can tell us a lot about how patients thought about "ownership" or agency over their body after death, even without the language of "informed consent. "For instance, patients who received their care in public institutions understood that their bodies would be made available for dissection and medical study in the event of death as a form of "repayment" for their care. Most of our specimens come from surgeries and autopsies conducted in this context. Of course, people can rightly point out that this reflected a power imbalance between the elite world of medicine and society's most vulnerable. "However, our team is undertaking an ambitious research project that aims to reattach specimens as closely as possible to a person's name or the community they belonged to.'
The Intercept
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Senate Passes Trump's Big, Beautiful Boon for Police
As Senate Republicans sprinted to pass the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' with their caucus strained over issues including staggering Medicaid cuts, clean energy, and cryptocurrency regulation, there was little debate over the billions of dollars the bill allocates for the nation's cops and law enforcement. The bill, which passed 51-50 on Tuesday, includes major giveaways to policing and security efforts designed to fuel President Donald Trump's deportation and surveillance regime. The wins range from tax reforms to make police overtime more lucrative to new grants administered by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. (Some of the funding is also being set aside for security at Trump's homes, including at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.) While the legislative package has driven outcry from defenders of the social safety net and deficit hawks alike — it brings a projected $3.3 trillion bump to the national debt over the next decade — its push to ramp up police funding has met less opposition. Last month, Trump hosted leaders of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's biggest police union, at the White House to mark their endorsement of his signature spending package. The FOP said it was endorsing Trump's bill because of a provision that cuts federal taxes on overtime pay, which costs municipalities and their police departments millions of dollars in spending. Overtime usage tends to balloon as a result of increased policing and surveillance initiatives, especially in response to protests. During his June 5 visit to the White House, national FOP President Patrick Yoes told Trump that police have faced problems recruiting and retaining officers because when they're forced to work overtime, they can't keep all of the money they earn (because, like almost all legal income, they're required to pay taxes on it). 'You've always been a steadfast supporter of the Fraternal Order of Police and law enforcement across this country,' Yoes said. 'You made a promise that you were going to address overtime — a tax on overtime,' he said. 'The one big new bill is certainly making good on that promise.' The overtime deduction, which would apply to workers who collect overtime besides police, is projected to cost the government about $90 billion in total tax revenues over the next four years. Similar tax cuts would apply by expanding the federal tax deductions people can claim based on their state and local taxes through a program known as SALT. The expansion makes it easier to deduct income taxes and, for homeowners, property taxes from a person's federal filing. Praising the bill after the House of Representatives passed its version in early June, Yoes said the change appeals to his members because the current income cap 'uniquely and unfairly' penalizes law enforcement officers who have to live in specific jurisdictions. Because they're based on income and property taxes, SALT deductions disproportionately benefit wealthier taxpayers. While the Senate had expressed some skepticism of the SALT expansion, its version of the bill ultimately included an even greater boost to the tax deduction than the House version. In addition to easing the tax burden on police, the bill also includes billions of dollars for police to aid in surveillance and deportation efforts. It provides funding for state and local agencies to support operations by the Department of Homeland Security — which doesn't stop at immigration enforcement. The text would also allow DHS to fund state, local, and tribal security 'and other costs' for major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles — setting aside $625 million for the former and $1 billion for the latter. Another subset of DHS grants for border security totals $10 billion. The bill also expands funding and grants — more than $3 billion each — under the Department of Justice for police to aid in Trump's deportation machine. Through the State Homeland Security Grant program, the bill authorizes $500 million for state and local efforts to 'detect, identify, track, or monitor threats' from unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, and $450 million for Operation Stonegarden, a program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency which supports 'enhanced cooperation and coordination' with Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and police agencies 'to improve overall border security.' As the Senate rushed to vote on the bill, those provisions appeared in danger: The Senate parliamentarian ruled that the State Homeland Security Grant program provisions for border security, immigration, and major event security did not comply with the chamber's rules and may be removed or changed. But according to the last version of the bill publicized just an hour before the vote, the DHS grants remained in the text. 'If these grants remain in the bill and it passes, you will start to see more local law enforcement participating in the kidnapping of innocent people off the street,' said Jessica Brand, founder of the Wren Collective, a group of former public defenders advising on criminal justice reform strategies. To power the deportation regime, the bill appropriates $3.3 billion to do things like hire immigration judges, prosecute immigrants, and compensate states and localities for incarcerating people for immigration authorities. Part of that $3.3 billion also boosts funding for police through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, which has long faced criticism from advocates for criminal justice reform for adding billions to the country's budget for mass incarceration. Another $3.5 billion allocated under the DOJ is set aside for the attorney general to administer as she sees fit under the 'Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide' fund, a reference to former President Joe Biden. 'This money isn't intended to make anyone safer. It's intended to break us.' It also adds $5 billion to the Bureau of Prisons over the next four years — and another $45 billion for immigrant detention. Another $1.17 billion would go to the Secret Service, including for performance, retention, and signing bonuses. 'We are already watching horror shows with teachers, mothers, neighbors — people we know and love — getting arrested and put in terrible detention centers and deported,' Brand said. 'It's only going to get worse. This money isn't intended to make anyone safer. It's intended to break us.'
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
After Pittsburgh police call in help to disperse South Side crowds, union president points to understaffing
The Pittsburgh police union says a recent incident on the South Side should be raising alarms about the level of police staffing in the city. When the bars let out at 2 a.m. early Sunday, East Carson Street filled with an unruly crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people. Pittsburgh police needed to call in officers from Monroeville, Shaler and Etna to form a line to clear the street. It's something the police union calls unprecedented. "In my years of experience here, 32-plus years in the city, I've never seen us have to call outside agencies. We've never had to call in agencies to come in and do normal operational policing," said FOP President Robert Swartzwelder. But because of understaffing, Swartzwelder believes this will be the first of many. In his room, he tracks how the bureau continues to lose more officers to retirements and resignations than it is training and hiring as new recruits. Today, he says there are just 664 officers working in the city — the lowest number anyone can remember. "Is that a dangerous level?" KDKA-TV's Andy Sheehan asked. "Perilously dangerous," Swartzwelder replied. Councilman Anthony Coghill has been sounding the alarm about police staffing for years now and says it's reached a crisis stage. He blames the current and former administrations for pausing police hiring, saying now the city can't catch up. "There were a lot of mistakes made starting going back to Bill Peduto not putting a recruitment class on. When the Gainey administration came in, they thought it was prudent not to put a class on," Coghill said. In a statement, the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department denied current staffing levels put the public at risk and said recent efforts, including hiring a full-time recruitment officer, have resulted in close to 200 potential recruits in the pipeline. "While police staffing is a challenge for most major police departments on a national and international level, the Pittsburgh Police Bureau is actively working on a number of initiatives to address recruitment and retention of officers." The administration and the police union are in contract talks. The city is cash strapped, but Coghill says it needs to find a way to raise police pay and improve benefits to keep existing officers and attract new ones "From what I understand, they're miles apart and that's not a good sign," he said.
