Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police

Lodge #9
1201 Hawthorne Lane
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-376-3838
ncfoplodge9.com

After watching the virtual City of Charlotte Council meeting on 6-8-2020 the Fraternal Order of Police
Lodge #9 was torn with what occurred that evening.
On one hand we are appreciative that the budget was adopted securing the recommended salary and
benefits for CMPD. On the other hand, we are extremely disappointed with the substitute motion
Councilman Winston made that no budgeted funds be used to purchase or maintain chemical agents for
use in crowd control or dispersing crowds for the upcoming fiscal year.
As we have stated before and will continue to in the future, chemical agents are an effective non-lethal
tool to aid in the dispersing of crowds.
CMPD has been dealt a hand by Charlotte City Council where an effective and necessary tool has been
removed. What City Council has done without debate or input from all parties involved is create a very
serious problem with no solutions. CMPD has been told to do without an effective tool and figure out a
different way of doing business that will suffice to Council (whatever that may be).
The council's knee-jerk reaction in approving Councilman Winston's motion will further demoralize CMPD
officers and add to the difficulties the CMPD has experienced for several years in recruiting and retaining
police officers. Many may not care and say "move on and figure it out". "That's what you get paid to
do". Well, that's exactly what we will do as we have done in the past.
Additionally, and we pray that it never happens, the lack of this tool as a non-lethal option in the future
may result in serious injuries or deaths to officers and/or citizens and the increased destruction of
property. Should this occur, the responsibility and liability will rest solely on the shoulders of the City
Council members who voted in favor of the motion.
We are disheartened that we do not have the support of the City Council. Only Council members Bokhari
and Driggs felt the need to speak up on our behalf and look at an issue from both sides before making a
hasty decision. We are disturbed by the talk of defunding/disbanding police agencies. Our professional
opinion is that defunding CMPD could very well further compromise the safety of our community and
officers. Councilman Driggs said it exactly right. Your motion took a “gratuitous dig at police”.
Councilman Winston, your additional comments following the motion shows us how much of an uphill
battle we have with the City Council and how much prejudice you have against the police. To say that
the systemic failures of policing in America and Charlotte are embedded on racism, classism, sexism,
homophobia, and the reduction of human nature to a binary enrages every law enforcement officer
because you have labeled ALL of us as failures and automatically placed us into all those categories
simply because we are law enforcement officers. How would you feel if we were to say that at the core
of every politician is the drive to be corrupt, manipulative, and power-hungry?
Keep this in mind as well. When you use the label CMPD it also includes non-sworn employees and
families of those employees. They too are affected by your words and feel the same frustrations as
uniformed officers.
The defunding of the CMPD is something that could be worked on for sure, but your comments are one
that furthers an "us versus them" mentality. Rather than working to bridge the gap of distrust between
the community and the police your words are widening the gap. In a time when recruitment and
retention of qualified law enforcement officers is getting more and more difficult, your comments and
actions are making it near impossible.
CMPD is not sitting back on its heels hoping for things to turn out for the better. CMPD continuously
implements programs, training, directives, procedures, and protocols to ensure we are doing what we
can to best serve the citizens of Charlotte and to have a first rate police department.
Councilman Winston, your comment further erodes the morale of CMPD members and makes them
wonder why in the world they would want to commit thirty years of their life for this. Most officers do
the right thing day in and day out and want to be appreciated and respected. Just as you do not want to
be judged based on the actions of a few bad politicians, they do not want to be judged by the actions of a
few bad police officers.

Mark Michalec

President

Charlotte-Mecklenburg FOP Lodge 9

1201 Hawthorne Lane Charlotte, NC 28205

704-376-3838

mmichalec@ncfoplodge9.com