CHICAGO – Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge President Chris Southwood issued the following statement regarding the scheduled appearance on Monday of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a Chicago FOP Lodge 7 event:
“Why wouldn’t we want to hear from a governor who staunchly supports law enforcement? We already know what one sounds like who doesn’t, and he resides in Illinois’ Executive Mansion. It’s strange that Governor Pritzker, who claims to be about inclusion, will not tolerate viewpoints that are different than his own. Thank you for the input, Governor Pritzker, but we prefer to listen to someone who has our backs for a change.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers – more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.