It's been an incredible 35 years for me. Actually it's been an incredible 59 years. To have the opportunity to grow up, live, and then work in this crazy, insane, magnificent city has been a pretty special experience.
When Kevin Martin retired in November, I immediately asked Marty Halloran to assume the role of vice president. He agreed to do so, and has again risen to the occasion, showing unquestioned loyalty to this organization and providing me tremendous counsel on a variety of issues. He is stubborn, cantankerous, and at times argumentative, but my admiration and respect for Marty has never wavered, and it makes it much easier to leave this office knowing that he will be stepping in to lead this organization forward.
Paul Chignell Accepts POA Staff Position
When Steve Johnson decided to retire just weeks after Kevin Martin stepped away, I knew that losing these two great men would deal a devastating blow to our legal defense team. For years, Steve and Kevin had represented our officers through every phase of the disciplinary process. My initial thoughts were that both of these veteran rep’s would be nearly impossible to replace.
2012 saw the retirements of key individuals from the POA. I also will retire this year. The importance for younger members to become involved in this organization cannot be over emphasized. The challenges facing this organization in the next three years are significant. The need for qualified, experienced leadership will never be more critical.
It is rare when words escape me, when everything you want to say seems inadequate and falls short of the mark. But, that is the very predicament in which I find myself now as I attempt to bid farewell to POA vice president Kevin Martin.
As most of you know by now, Kevin will be retiring effective November 1st.
As I think about what he has meant to me personally, and more importantly to the membership as a whole, it is impossible to express the respect, admiration, and love I feel for this man who I will always consider my brother.
Dedicated campaigner rises to the challenge
Let me begin with a hearty congratulations to POA member Brian Stansbury on his election victory for the open seat on the San Francisco Retirement Board. Brian will fill the vacancy left by retiree Al Casciato, and he joins firefighter Joe Driscoll as a second representative from public safety to sit on this important panel. Brian received 7,036 votes, and his opponent received 6,298 votes. It was close, and Brian fought long and hard for his win.
In the summer of 1971, Sergeant John V. Young was senselessly gunned down at the public service counter inside of the Ingleside Police Station. The murderers were members of a group of career criminals, most of whom had ties to the Black Panther Party and/or the Black Liberation Army. During the late 60s and early 70s, these two groups believed the best way to fight what they saw as " racial oppression" was to kill as many authority figures as possible. Of course then as now, the most accessible authority figures in our society happened to be uniformed police officers.
Police officers are unlike any other union members in the country. Unlike most blue-collar workers in America, police officers witness everyday the failings of the criminal justice and the social assistance systems. We have a front row seat in the courtroom everyday witnessing the futility of a criminal justice system that allows criminals to walk free and then blames police instead of failed, under-funded, or pork-barrel non-profit social programs for a rising crime rate.
Is it that time already? That sure went fast…
A discussion I have had with scores of members over the years is regarding when might be the right time to walk away from this rewarding but crazy profession. My thoughts have always pretty much been the same; Get out as soon as you can to preserve whatever sanity you may still possess, and to enjoy the rest of your life without too much looking back.
Treasurer Marty Halloran and I recently traveled back to the Boston/Cambridge area where we had been invited to participate in another round of meetings and seminars with the fifty largest law enforcement unions in the US and Canada. The annual conference is held at the venerable Harvard Law School, and the topics are specific to the state of, and future of, salaries, working conditions, and technology that effect police work in this country.
July 1, 2024
