WE ONLY REPRESENT THE LEO!

As all of you are aware, the team at the Defender of the Blue is dedicated to representing the men and women of law enforcement. Nothing is more important than the individual LEO and protecting their rights. We do not work for the department, Command or the union. Most of the time Command understands this and is willing to work with us to ensure their LEO is being protected according to the law. Every LEO is entitled to the rights under the United States Constitution, just like every citizen of this country. As one of our LEOs has stated “We are not the type to go along, just to get along.”

We were called to represent a LEO this week on the east side of the state. During our representation, we learned that the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office was being called in to conduct a criminal investigation. We assisted the LEO and gave advice on how to proceed in order to protect the LEO. We then made a FB post (without specifics of the incident) about our representation. This caused an immediate backlash from the PD’s union representative. We took the post down in hopes of continuing a good working relationship. However, this morning, we learned that Command has once again directed our LEO to surrender those constitutional rights and provide an unprotected statement.

Given this, we want to thank the Departments, Command staffs and union representatives that call on us to represent their LEOs. Working with you makes both of our jobs much easier and makes the LEO feel as they are being supported. We have built great working relationships and friendships all around Michigan while representing LEOs. We might not always agree, but we always respect and listen to each other’s concerns and find a solution.

Then there is the 1%. Command that thinks “this is the way we’ve always done it” is the golden rule or the Union Executives that are more worried about not upsetting Command than the rights of their LEOs. When this happens, we must balance the rights of our LEO versus the demands that a LEO forfeit their constitutional rights when threatened with a criminal investigation. We never want to put a LEO in a position where they must choose between protecting themselves or not upsetting Command. We THANK those unions that have stepped up in the past to back their officers when this decision must be made. Shame on the unions that back Command and just tells the attorney and LEO to just do what Command wants.

So, ask yourself, if I am facing a criminal investigation for doing my job, who do I want in my corner? A Command that is concerned for themselves, a union representative that is more concerned for their own standing in Command’s eyes, or an attorney/department/union representative that will ensure that you are protected?

-From the Defender of the Blue Team