Do Your Town’s Politicians Support the Police?

By: Brian Genest – Sept. 2020

The town of Dracut is in the news—for something positive. The Board of Selectmen stepped up, spoke out and backed the blue. The five members voted unanimously in favor of a resolution supporting the Dracut Police Department.

Acknowledging the protests against police around the country and recent legislation aimed at sweeping police reform, the Dracut board expressed its unwavering support for the men and women on the town’s police force, saying selectmen stand in solidarity with the police department.

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“The Dracut Board of Selectmen has witnessed our police officers perform to the highest level of professionalism throughout the last several months, during which Massachusetts has suffered through a pandemic, civil unrest and economic shutdown,” the resolution said, also noting that town police officers have always been sensitive to issues of fairness and justice and have responded with care and compassion to all members of the community.

Acting Dracut Police Chief Stephen Chaput said the entire department is grateful for the show of support from the town.

“I’d like to thank the Board of Selectmen, Town Manager and the Dracut community for their incredible show of support,” Chaput said in a statement. “The proclamation issued by the board helps make a very difficult job a little bit easier and recognizes the efforts of the outstanding men and women of the Dracut Police Department during these trying times.”

Trying times, indeed. To make matters worse, some of the other politicians “representing” Dracut are working against the police.

State Senator Barry Finegold is one of those politicians. With his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate, Finegold passed a bill full of controversial police “reforms” or, as I like to call them, “reprimands.”

The bill will tie the hands of police, empower criminals, force good officers out of the profession, prevent good people from joining the ranks and make every man, woman and child in every community in our state less safe.

In the Democrat-controlled legislature, the bill was handled with the usual amount of transparency, accountability and integrity: ushered through without a public hearing in the middle of the night.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan is also for chaos instead of the cops. The progressive, anti-police Democrat is co-sponsor of a so-called “justice in policing act.” The bill on Capitol Hill, just like the one on Beacon Hill, provides justice for protesters, rioters, looters and everyone except the police.

Supporting the police matters, now more than ever. For Republicans, the party of law and order, this is an opportunity to bring forward resolutions similar to the one passed in Dracut in every municipality across the state.
This is a chance for Republican Town Committees to work with local officials, state committee members and others all over Massachusetts to show our strong support for our police.

In Andover, let’s partner with Selectman Alex Vispoli on a pro-police resolution. In Framingham, State Committeewoman Janet Leombruno, who’s also a member of the City Council, can put the issue on the agenda herself! In Haverhill, State Committeewoman Maura Ryan-Ciardiello and her clan of political relatives can bring a similar measure before the city council and the other town governments in her district.

All of us have an obligation to do our part. This is no time for any of us to be quiet. It’s time to take note of who defends our police and who wants to defund them. It’s time for the silent majority to send a loud and clear message: we back the blue and expect our town politicians to, too.

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— Brian Genest is chairman of the Dracut Republican Town Committee and a member of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee representing the Second Essex and Middlesex district of Andover, Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury. ◊