Police unions target ‘yes’ votes
Back candidates going against those who voted for accountablity bill
In a backlash against the state’s new police accountability law, a wave of Connecticut police unions is endorsing Republican candidates in the November legislative races.
“We’ve never done this before. We’ve never backed anyone on either side. The political arena isn’t our thing,” said Lt. John Rossetti, president of Manchester’s police union. “But you’re seeing an attack on law enforcement.
“In the recent climate we’ve experienced nationally and locally, it’s necessary for officers to get their voices out there,” Rossetti said Wednesday, two days after his union endorsed Republican challenger Brian Marois over Rep.
Jason Doucette, a Democrat.
Unions in Bristol, New Britain, Glastonbury, New London, Norwalk, East Hartford, Stamford and elsewhere have all come out in favor of GOP candidates since the General Assembly passed the accountability law on a largely party-line vote.
Police this year are largely lining up behind candidates challenging Democrats who voted “yes,” but there are exceptions. For instance, for the first time in more than 60 years Greenwich’s police union is endorsing a candidate: Republican Kimberly Fiorello. She is running for an open seat; Democrat Kathleen Stowe wasn’t in the General Assembly when the law passed.
In recent years, many police unions have shunned endorsements to avoid alienating either side. They often side with Republicans on social issues but line up more closely with Democrats on
labor matters, so both parties get a share of endorsements. And acknowledging the built-in advantage that incumbents hold, police unions — like any other group with the power to bestow endorsements — rarely go up against entrenched office-holders of either party.
This year, though, is proving different.
Rep. Jill Barry of Glastonbury is one of the only incumbent Democrats to get police backing. Not coincidentally, she was also one of just a handful of Democrats who voted against the accountability law. Barry has the backing of the state Fraternal Order of Police, the state police union and the Police Officers Association of Connecticut.
Glastonbury’s local police union didn’t endorse any candidate in Barry’s race, but several uniformed officers posed for a Facebook photo with Marois, the Republican challenger in the adjoining House district. That prompted complaints on Facebook that federal and state law
prohibit campaigning in uniform, and Marois took down the photo.
Bristol’s police union recently endorsed all Republican candidates in that city, including David Rackcliffe, who is up against Democratic incumbent Chris Ziogas.
“Our endorsement is based upon their long-standing, unwavering support on the public safety issues that affect the citizens of Bristol, and on their commitment to the fair working conditions for the menand womenwhoput their lives on the line each day to protect and serve our community,” union President James Pelletier wrote.
Some Bristol officers tried to make their case to Ziogas before the General Assembly vote, and were dismayed that he sided with his Democratic colleagues to pass the accountability law. Its sponsors describe it as a way to reform policing by mandating body cameras, expanding the justifications for decertifying officers, banning chokeholds in nearly all cases, and making it easier for civilians to sue police officers and communities.
The complex law has other elements, too, and police unions contend that too many put them
at risk or block them from working effectively.
The accountability bill was drafted after nationwide protests spurred by police killings George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville.
“We need politicians with leadership to bridge the gaps and be a liaison with community organizations to solve the situations we’ve had,” Rossetti said. “There are parts of the bill that are necessary. Our union is 100 percent behind them. We embrace change. But we want to be a stakeholder in that change, we want politicians who will listen to us. This bill wasn’t done with any law enforcement input.”
Democratic leaders have consistently said the accountability law isn’t anti-police, but also stressed that bad practices in policing have to end.
Sen. Gary Winfield, a New Haven Democrat who helped draft the bill, said police labor leaders and police chiefs got a full opportunity to present their ideas beforehand.
“I had conversations extensively with police chiefs and AFSCME, and we made changes. I think everybody knows that,” Winfield
said. “But if this bill was exactly what police want, it wouldn’t be reform.”
Winfield said legislators may consider revising the law next year, but would want to hear from communities as well as police first.
“We’d want input from people who experience policing as well as those in the profession. I don’t think either side will get everything they want, and that’s OK,” he said.
Police labor leaders said they’re tired of waiting for change.
In a blog post this summer, East Hartford’s police union gave a preview of this campaign season.
“As a labor union, the only thing of value we have to offer to politicians are endorsements and campaign contributions, and right nowthe Democrats whoare pushing this bill see us as the enemy and want nothing to do with our endorsements or our money,” the union said. “In fact they’d probably prefer weendorsed their opponents so they can show the mob driving them how anti-police they are.”