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The Sentinels, Cincinnati's black police organization, issued a statement in response to an email between Mayor John Cranley and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The Sentinels, Cincinnati's black police organization, issued a statement in response to an email between Mayor John Cranley and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The Sentinels, Cincinnati's black police organization, issued a statement in response to an email between Mayor John Cranley and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
THE SENTINEL POLICE ASSOCIATION
"FOREVER VIGILANT - FOREVER STRONG"
1889 CENTRAL PARKWAY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45214
oT PHONE (513) 651-3507- FAX (513) 651-3710
Joniciintiorie® FOR MEDIA RELEASE **** 8888888
On Friday December 23", 2016 the contents of an Email correspondence between City of Cinein
nati Mayor, John Cranley and Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel were made public in a newspaper
article in the Cincinnati Enquirer. In that
ail it was stated by Mayor Cranley, “Sentinels
[Police Association] defended us and controversy died in 48 hours. In my opinion we survived
this decision because of [the] reservoir of respect for black [Black] cops by the community.
If they say certain reforms are needed, not a
badground to stand on.”
First and foremost, allow me to be clear in stating the Sentinel Police Association
categorically denies partaking of any role, possessing any prior knowledge, or standing in
support of any government entity, elected official, or individual a year ago during the
dismissal of former City of Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell. Furthermore, the Sentinel
Police Association vehemently rejects the assertion of Mayor Cranley in his
Email alleging the Sentinel Police Association defended his decision to dismiss former
Chief Blackwell. Additionally, we reject the alleged notion of the Sentinels presenting
or suggesting any, “reforms” relating or pertaining to former Chief Blackwell. We
condemn Mayor Canley’s statements to be factually inaccurate and in essence his
statements could not be further from the truth, The reality was and still exists that the
antithesis of the sentiment conveyed by Mayor Cranley in his above referencedTHE SENTINEL POLICE ASSOCIATION
"FOREVER VIGILANT - FOREVER STRONG"
1889 CENTRAL PARKWAY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45214
La 2 ie PHONE (513) 651-3507- FAX (513) 651-3710
correspondence is the truth. The Sentinels were in full support of former Chief
Blackwell at the time of his dismissal. At no time did the Sentinels indicate to Mayor Cranley th
at he had the support of the Organization in supporting the dismissal of former Chief Blackwell.
On June 3", 2015 approximately three months before former Chief Blackwell was dismissed,
the Sentinels held an emergency general body meeting. During that meeting
‘our members voted on a motion to stand in 100% support of former Police Chief
Blackwell who at the time was under tremendous scrutiny from City Hall. Immediately followin
g the vote, a press conference was held and the outcome of that unanimous vote was announced
to the media and the public. At no time after voting to stand behind former Chief Blackwell did
the Sentinels ever have any subsequent meeting or formally make any countermotion to
collectively revoke the Organization's support of him. Past Sentinel President Phill Black, who
was the President at the time of former Chief Blackwell’s dismissal, has also gone on record
publicly denying any organizational involvement or prior knowledge of the Sentinels
surrounding the dismissal of former Chief Blackwell
As the current Sentinel Police Association President, I would like to further clarify
that although all members of our organization enjoy the same First Amendment freedom
as any other American citizen; freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the right to
petition the government, freedom of the press, as well as the freedom of speech, the
views and expression of personal opinion(s) of any individual member cannot and should not beTHE SENTINEL POLICE ASSOCIATION
"POREVER VIGILANT - FOREVER STRONG"
1889 CENTRAL PARKWAY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45214
— PHONE (513) 651-3507: FAX (513) 651-3710
construed as being representative of the Organization in aggregate.
Although it is certainly possible, perhaps even probable certain individual
Sentinel and Fraternal Order of Police members may have possessed prior knowledge of the
impending dismissal of former Chief Blackwell due to existing personal relationships with
Mayor Cranley and/or others at City Hall, the fact remains neither Mayor Cranley
nor City Manager Harry Black formally notified or consulted with the Sentinel Police
Association's elected Executive Leadership Board prior to the dismissal. Undoubtedly, a
decision of that magnitude to reverse a prior motion which had been voted upon and
passed unanimously by our membership to support former Chief Blackwell would require
considerably more approval than that of any one Sentinel member to legitimately suggest
the decision to revoke our support was a decision, the organization's “collective
membership” was in support of.
In juxtaposition, individual members who choose to either endorse or personally disavow
a political issue, ideology, or an individual, for the purpose of their own interests and
self-aggrandizement represent themselves solely for motivations which could be interpreted as
arbitrary in nature and do not serve to further our mission or the founding tenets of the
Sentinel Police Association.
The Sentinel Police Association is neither the embodiment of any one man or
woman past or present, nor is it the Unilateral view point of any one man or woman.THE SENTINEL POLICE ASSOCIATION
"FOREVER VIGILANT - FOREVER STRONG"
1889 CENTRAL PARKWAY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45214
agen PHONE (513) 651-3507- FAX (513) 651-3710
Itis rather a united voice of minority Cincinnati Police men and women who make
decisions in tandem with one another with the objective always being to seek what is
‘most beneficial and of paramount importance to the proliferation of the group holistically as
‘opposed to the arbitrary interests of a solitary member.
Lastly, itis well documented within the by-laws of the Sentinel Police
Association that the Organization is strictly prohibited from becoming entangled to any
degree in political gamesmanship whether formally or informally, explicitly or
Implicitly. It is our opinion that at the time of his dismissal former Chief Blackwell
was an asset to the Cincinnati Police Department and to the citizens of Cincinnati and
his dismissal was both unprecedented and unwarranted,
ao —=ST—~—~OCS~SN
Eddie D. Hawkins President
Sentinel Police Association