Police union backs challengers

The Baltimore Sun

Taking a stance against the city's top two leaders, Baltimore's police union yesterday officially threw its support behind two of their challengers: Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. for mayor and Michael Sarbanes for City Council president.

At a news conference at its headquarters, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 presented Mitchell, a councilman, with a $3,000 campaign contribution, and said that 100 officers will volunteer on his campaign, waving signs and knocking on doors when they are off duty.

Paul M. Blair Jr., president of the city's police union, which represents 4,800 current and retired city police officers, said Mitchell was one of four mayoral candidates to fill out a questionnaire and appear before an interview panel.

Candidates were asked about topics such as binding arbitration, the deferred retirement option program, or DROP, and police recruitment and retention.

Mitchell "told us of a vision long before crime started rising and the bodies started falling in the city," Blair said.

"The person who we believe will be the man who will bring a safe Baltimore for our citizens is Keiffer Mitchell," Blair said.

By a voice vote, "several hundred" members of the FOP unanimously decided Monday night to accept the recommendations made by a panel that interviewed the candidates, Blair said. Ballots were not mailed to members. It was the first time that the rank and file voted on an endorsement, Blair said. Still, some FOP members said the vote was not indicative of the entire organization. "What happened there last night isn't the total voice of the Police Department," said Sgt. Michael Wingler. "You have supporters for Mayor Dixon and you have supporters for Keiffer."

Though only 35 percent of the FOP members live in the city, Mitchell said the endorsement was critical to building momentum in his campaign.

"You talk to neighbors out in the streets, they listen to their officers," Mitchell said. "They want a city that is going to be safe. When they hear that the FOP unanimously supports my candidacy, that's going to really help my campaign, no matter how many people live in the city of Baltimore."

Dixon, who became mayor in January when Martin O'Malley took over as governor, leads Mitchell in the race for mayor by a large margin, according to a Sun poll conducted this month.

The two are among eight candidates vying in the Sept. 11 Democratic primary.

Martha McKenna, a spokeswoman for Dixon, said Mitchell's FOP endorsement was expected. "It's certainly not going to deter the mayor from staying focused on her efforts to go after the most violent offenders and continuing to build these partnerships in the community" and with other agencies, she said.

"That's the plan, and it will continue irregardless of the politics of the campaign," she added.

Dixon, who asked last week for the resignation of the city's police chief, received yesterday the endorsement of the Retired Police Benevolent Association, which represents more than 1,700 retired officers.

Blair said the decision on who to endorse for council president was difficult as there were three viable candidates.

Sarbanes, a longtime community activist, faces competition from City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake and City Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr.

Rawlings-Blake has reached out and met with the FOP in recent months, proposing a police recruitment drive that is opposed by the mayor and has not passed the City Council.

Blair said the union was ultimately looking for someone who wouldn't rubberstamp what the mayor wants and that they liked the fresh approach of Sarbanes.

Blair said that although the FOP appreciated Rawlings-Blake's gestures, they didn't see any immediate results. Luke Clippinger, a spokesman for Rawlings-Blake, who was recently endorsed by O'Malley, said the campaign is disappointed but not surprised by the FOP endorsement.

"The bottom line of Stephanie is that it doesn't stop her focus, seeking to lead the way in attacking violent crime here in Baltimore, and doing it by listening to rank-and-file officers across the city," he said.

Sarbanes said he was "gratified and honored" to receive the FOP endorsement. "It's critical at this point in our history that we break out of the deadly trap of low expectations on how safe our city is," he said. "We're not a city where 300 homicides is inevitable."

sumathi.reddy@baltsun.com

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