The National Fraternal Order of Police announced last week that the members have voted to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump for president. The FOP also endorsed Trump in 2016 and in 2020.

“Public safety and border security will be important issues in the last months of this campaign,” Patrick Yoes, National President of the FOP, said in a statement. “Our members carefully considered the positions of the candidates on the issues and there was no doubt—zero doubt—as to who they want as our president for the next four years: Donald J. Trump.”

“During his first term, President Trump made it clear he supported law enforcement and border security,” Yoes added. “In the summer of 2020 (after the in-custody death of George Floyd and subsequent protests and riots), he stood with us when very few would. With his help, we defeated the ‘defund the police’ movement and, finally, we are seeing crime rates decrease. If we want to maintain these lower crime rates, we must re-elect Donald Trump.” 

The FOP says it considered both candidates’ records and their answers to the police union’s questionnaire and a letter from the Harris-Walz campaign that described some of their positions on criminal justice and police labor issues. “An FOP committee met personally with former President Trump, but no similar meeting was granted by the Harris-Walz campaign. This information was provided to the more than 377,000 members of the FOP so they could make their own decision in this election. 

The same day that the National FOP endorsed Trump, the former president spoke to FOP members at the union’s annual conference in Charlotte.

WSOCTV reports Trump Trump called for the death penalty for drug dealers, child sex traffickers and people who kill police officers.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/trump-speak-fraternal-order-police-event/GKILW6O35JEINJ5JB6B4MGEG3M/

Trump also promised “I will never defund the police,” Trump said. “I will only promise you we may overfund the police.”

The FOP’s Trump endorsement was condemned by some in law enforcement.

During a Harris-Walz press call, Durham County, North Carolina Sheriff Clarence Birkhead called out the union for supporting a convicted felon over a former prosecutor, WTVD reports. He said she "understands the needs of the communities like mine, and has always had our back."

https://abc11.com/post/clarence-birkhead-law-enforcement-condemn-fraternal-order-polices-endorsement-donald-trump-supporting-kamala-harris/15276422/