Press Release 6.23.20 - Capitol Hill Occupied Protest
For Immediate Release
Contact: Marco Monteblanco, President, WAFOP
Phone: 509-205-9803
E-mail: marco.monteblanco@wafop.com
(Seattle, WA, June 23, 2020) The current tensions between law enforcement agencies and both protestors and occupiers in the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” or “CHOP” requires collective and collaborative leadership from all stakeholders and is essential to the restoration of public safety services and the rebuilding of fractured relationships with the community.
The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) believes that leadership within Seattle city government, local agency command and guild management must focus on a common goal that is resolute on serving the community and absent of finger pointing. Criminal activity is diminishing the message of the movement and threatening the life and safety of those peacefully protesting as well as those that live, work and do business in the area.
Efforts to create productive conversations between law enforcement, local and state government and community advocacy groups is the collective responsibility of all parties and essential for progress to be made. The Washington State FOP is appreciative of Governor Inslee’s taskforce on police and racial justice and honored by our appointment alongside so many changemakers in the community. Coming together to create meaningful reform requires everyone to embrace difficult conversations for the betterment of all.
Washington State made historic reforms in HB 1064, (the amended version of I-940 that the legislature enacted in 2019) and subsequently named Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA) through a comparable process. The Washington State FOP is hopeful that similar relationships and effective reforms can be made through such a process.
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ABOUT THE WASHINGTON STATE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) is a 501(c)8 non-profit organization which represents nearly 3,000 law enforcement officers in the state. Our motto is “Cops helping Cops”.
Washington State FOP | 2839 W. Kennewick Ave. #356 | Kennewick, WA 99336
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(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
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