Revealed: police unions spend millions to influence policy in biggest US cities

[JonLP24]

Police unions and officers active in America’s three largest cities spend tens of millions of dollars annually to influence law enforcement policy and thwart pushes for reform, a Guardian analysis of local, county, state and federal campaign finance records found.

Reform advocates say the spending partly explains why police unions have defeated most reform measures in recent years, even as high-profile police killings of unarmed black men sparked waves of public outrage including the current national demonstrations against racism sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Guardian identified about $87m in local and state spending over the last two decades by the unions. That includes at least $64.8m in Los Angeles, $19.2m in New York City and $3.5m in Chicago. Records show that most spending occurred during the last 10 years as contributions and lobbying dramatically increased in most jurisdictions.

At the federal level, police officers and their unions have spent at least $47.3m on campaign contributions and lobbying in recent election cycles, according to Maplight data and US Senate and US House.

https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/23/police-unions-spending-policy-reform-chicago-new-york-la?CMP=share_btn_tw&__twitter_impression=true

[The Magistrate]

1. Police Unions, Sir, Badly Need Breaking

Whatever their original purpose, they are now mere associations devoted to protecting brutal and incompetent officers from the condign punishment required if society is to remain civil.

[2naSalit]

2. That is all they are about at this point, Sir.