The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association has voted to endorse Republican Donald Trump for president, over Democrat Hillary Clinton and several third-party candidates.
Lynn Hampton is president of the Black Shield Police Association for black officers. He says about 250 of his members are also members of the larger CPPA. And he says the endorsement of Trump is not going to make things easy while Cleveland police are trying to rebuild relationships with the community.
“I think it's going to set a bad taste off as far as the community and our community leaders. And it kind of buys into [and] gives fuel to the activists who believe the makeup of our department is not in the best interest of the African-American community.”
Hampton adds that officers should have been given the option to vote for the union to abstain from an endorsement in the presidential race.
“That's why I think some people didn't turn out, because there wasn't a choice to not endorse anyone on the ticket. I think if you had had on the ballot box ‘no endorsement at all,’ I think you would have had more people come out.”
The move comes as Steve Loomis, president of the union, has been appearing at several Trump events in recent weeks. He did not return calls for comment over the weekend.
