By Louis Civello
Cover photo: Civello (left) presenting Congressman Jim Jordan (right) the PBA’s endorsement of President Trump (Credit – Matt Meduri)
Our country’s law enforcement faces an unprecedented crisis. Violent crime is up, our border is open, and police recruitment is at a historic low. This crisis was largely created by the left. They’ve spent the last few years demonizing our officers, attempting to defund us, and strip us of the very tools we need to protect the public. Electing Donald Trump (R-FL) will be a harsh rebuke of the anti-police movement, and it will mark a return to a safer America.
When it comes to police and public safety, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris (D-CA) could not be further apart. Vice President Harris supports defunding the police. Asked about her position, she stated “for too long the status quo thinking was you get more safety by putting more cops on the street. Well, that’s wrong.” In contrast, President Donald Trump pushed to fund police departments, signing the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Authorization Act in 2018. This Act funded a nationwide law enforcement program focused on the reduction of violent crime, which meant more cops on the streets to keep communities safe.
As President, Donald Trump restored the 1033 program providing law enforcement with access to lifesaving equipment such as bullet proof vests, long guns, and armored vehicles which are used by police nationwide to respond to mass casualty events like terrorist attacks and school shootings. Vice President Harris instead called for the “demilitarization of police” and cut the program, putting officer’s lives at risk and endangering the public.
Vice President Harris presided over the border crisis. Leaving the border virtually unsecured has allowed for the influx of violent criminals and allowed deadly fentanyl to flow into our communities. In 2022, Suffolk County saw over 400 deaths from these deadly drugs, many of which were young adults and children. President Trump oversaw one of the most secure borders in American history. While running for President, Trump’s life was even threatened by Mexican drug lord “el Chapo” because of his tough positions on the border and illegal drugs.
President Trump supports the death penalty for cop-killers. As a prosecutor, Harris refused to seek the death penalty for the thug that murdered San Francisco Police Officer Isacc Espinoza. This outraged many SFPD Officers. It’s an outrage we share, since New York has released forty-two cop-killers in the last seven years.
The Suffolk PBA is also a member of organized labor. President Trump has proposed to eliminate taxes on overtime. This would put thousands of dollars into the pockets of union workers across the country. Vice President Harris has no such proposal and has signaled she favors tax increases.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, as police officers, we take an oath to uphold the constitution. Chief among the constitutional rights is the first amendment. All other rights depend on Americans having freedom of speech. The Harris-Biden administration has laid siege to that right. They coerced social media companies to censor Americans in the name of “disinformation” (much of which later turned out to be true information). This was an egregious abuse of power and something that goes against the core of what it means to uphold the constitution.
Some of President Trump’s critics point to January 6 as evidence he does not support the police. They say his rhetoric is responsible for the riot that took place at our Nation’s Capitol. This argument is fundamentally flawed. If we held Vice President Harris to the same standard, she would be responsible for all the carnage caused by the BLM rioters, violent attacks on police and the two assassination attempts on President Trump.
At the end of the day, we must have one standard by which to judge. For the SCPBA that standard is examining what these candidates have done and what they intend to do. For the safety of our Nation’s police officers and all those we protect, President Trump is the right choice and the only Presidential nominee that backs the blue.
Louis Civello serves as President of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA).
