It’s hard to put any stock in the words of a man whose job is to hold halos over every single one of the 1,500 or so men and women currently employed as Cleveland police officers. Fifteen hundred is a big number. And while we’ll echo the sentiment expressed elsewhere — that by and large, the folks behind the badges are good people doing good jobs — it’s foolish to believe that there aren’t bad cops out there. But that’s exactly what Jeff Follmer has to do as president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association. The stock and trade of a police union president’s job is to defend his officers, and to defend all is to defend one, which is how the job works with the rare exceptions of cops acting in ways that no one, not even their fellow officers, can defend. Otherwise, the job entails showing up when officers become the subject of stories, explaining to the public, from a cop’s point of view, how it happens that 137 bullets are fired at an unarmed couple surrounded by police, for instance.
Executing that advocacy — which, we’ll reiterate, is a much needed role those 1,500 men and women depend on — takes all forms, from massaging the relationship between City Hall and Mayor Jackson with the rank and file to staunchly defending officers in the media, from representing those who are the subject of internal grievances to building bonds with community leaders and the citizens the cops are paid to protect.
Follmer will exit the presidency at the end of the year after being ousted in a vote against former CPPA president Steve Loomis — Follmer lost by 300 votes. Back in October, in a lead-up to the election, Loomis went after shortfalls in Follmer’s tenure, notably what he called broken relationships between the police, the community and elected officials. After his victory, as Mark Naymik reported, Loomis struck the same chord.
“There was a communication breakdown between the CPPA and community groups, other unions, politicians and the mayor’s office,” Loomis said. “It’s in everyone’s best interest that we reestablish those lines of communication. We have been in the dark for a while.”
Follmer, with just weeks to go before he hands the keys back to Loomis, communicated with the world yesterday after the Browns game. But it was the brand of inflammatory and tone-deaf message that does little to mend fences between neighbors who don’t trust each other, an unsolicited gouge at a fresh wound that badly needs healing, a myopic declaration as troubling as they come, especially in the wake of the blistering Department of Justice investigation that revealed evidence of systemic abuse within the department and an order for independent oversight.
Browns receiver Andrew Hawkins emerged from the tunnel at First Energy Stadium yesterday wearing a shirt that read “Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford III” on the front and “The Real Battle of Ohio,” a play on the rivalry between the Browns and Bengals, on the back.
Follmer, without apparently being asked by anyone what his thoughts were on the display, and ignoring the cascade of embarrassment heaped on the St. Louis Police Officers Association after the organization demanded an apology from the Rams and discipline for the five players who came out for a game in November in a “hands up, don’t shoot” display, issued a statement yesterday afternoon.
Let that sink in.
Hawkins wasn’t doing anything that the people of Cleveland haven’t done since the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, and he wasn’t saying anything that they haven’t said. The only difference here is that Hawkins is a professional athlete and his status affords him a bigger microphone. (The Browns, to their great credit, quickly issued a statement defending Hawkins’ right to expression, saying, “We have a great respect for the Cleveland Police Department and the work that they do to protect and serve our city. We also respect our players’ rights to project their support and bring awareness to issues that are important to them if done so in a responsible manner.”)
What Follmer says speaks volumes to the rift between the police in Cleveland and the people of Cleveland, and it also speaks volumes to what the Department of Justice found in its years-long investigation. Follmer is saying if you’re an athlete, and in this case, a black athlete, you’re not smart enough to have an opinion about real life. Follmer is saying generally, and quite plainly, that if you’re not a cop, you have no right to question a cop. Follmer is saying leave the big boy stuff to the big boys. Follmer was talking about Hawkins when he called him “pathetic” but talking to every citizen of Cleveland.
Hawkins’ message wasn’t “fuck the police” or “indict Tim Loehmann.” His message was a call for justice, for transparency, for equality under the law, for something more honest than a halo for every badge, for the right of people to question the law when it’s displayed itself to be questionable.
That’s beyond Jeff Follmer, though, which is the only pathetic part of the whole thing.
(We’ve reached out to Steve Loomis for his comments and will let you know if he responds.)
This article appears in Dec 10-16, 2014.
You mean the President of a Union where widespread ineptitude brought the Att. Gen. of the United States into town doesn’t have a grasp on reality? Say whaaaa?
Jeff Follmer. See ya. Wouldn’t wanta be ya.
Shouldn’t the Union be sticking up for cops who really do their jobs and not the crooked, lying, and racist cops, who make the job more dangerous, by murdering innocent unarmed citizens?
It is a pathetic so called person that cant put themselves in anothers position. the bible tells you that. they are killing black people and really I mean really expect them to do nothing. how crazy is that.
@ Jeff Follmer – here’s your apology bub;
. F*** off a**wipe.
Carry on d***weed
Go grow some hair or something since your brain is obviously on extended vacation.
I was totally appalled at this man’s interview on MSNBC. He said if the police tell you to do something, just do it. We are citizens of the state, not subjects of the state. I was appalled also at his apparent total lack of understanding, or complete disregard, of the constitution, see bill of rights. The young child, 12 years old, even if he had of been 21 years old, could have been dealt with in so many other ways. The fact that he lost his young life is truely tragic. My heart breaks for his family. The young man who lost his life in Wal Mart could have been dealt with in so many other ways which would have also prevented his tragic death. My heart hurts for his family too. It would have been much more appropriate for this neanderthalic brute to have been a little more respectful, and remorseful. Yet, he clearly stated that he wouldn’t apolojize to anybody. There are many fine police officers, I think we all agree on that. But this guy makes them look very bad. He sould apolojize to his fellow offercers for being such a boneheaded asshole of a spokesperson. btw- See what the police did to David Hooks in Laurens County Georgia. They haven’t apologized for thanking this innocent man’s life either. kb- disturbed in Arkansas.
I am appalled at YOUR total lack of empathy. When did the police become the bad guys?
Why is it that we talk about the bullets fired into the car and not the fact that it wouldn’t stop for miles and miles?
Why is it that we focus on the terrible incident of Tamir Rice but not the 125,000 incidents a year where officers stop the worst of our society from causing harm?
I do not know what you do for a living but I’d like to follow you into work and if you were say, a nurse, and you take care of 1000’s of patients a year but one day your just not feeling well and you give a patient bad advice or maybe something they are allergic too and its all over the news.
There is no way YOU can comment on these people unless you walk into the situations they do where everyone is lying to them, people are doing unspeakable things to each other every day of the year 24 hours a day.
lion you my friend are missing the whole point.
“Why is it that we talk about the bullets fired into the car and not the fact that it wouldn’t stop for miles and miles?”
Because in no country in this world is not stopping for miles and miles a crime worthy of the death penalty.
“Why is it that we focus on the terrible incident of Tamir Rice but not the 125,000 incidents a year where officers stop the worst of our society from causing harm?”
For the same reason none of us demand some sort of special recognition for doing the job we are paid for yet know we will be held accountable.
I’d like to follow you into the hospital and see that nurse give your child the wrong medication. I’d like to see your reaction when the rest of the nurses pretend no mistake was made or that your child did something to cause his death or blame you for bringing your kid to the hospital in the first place, tell you that a good parent would have taken better care of their child. I would like to see your reaction when, after months of paid time off that nurse is back at work.
That won’t happen though. Because, unlike police, nurses (and every other profession for that matter) are held accountable for their actions.
It’s pathetic that your echo the insane sentiment that only cops can comment on a cop’s behavior yet no one is telling Jeff Follmer to shut his trap about the action of this football player until he’s played in the NFL
I feel everyone needs a round table enlightening, education on what to know and what to expect it should be taught to you alongside receiving your license this Union guy should know this is America and put his foot in his mouth big time or he may be so out of touch thinking he is king of the land and don’t actually know our constitution