March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 49 F

Police union backs Pittman for County Executive

Anne Arundel County police officers announced that their union, FOP Lodge 70, will endorse Steuart Pittman for county executive. The decision was made after interviewing both Pittman and County Executive Steve Schuh, who is running for re-election.
“”During Steve Schuh’s administration the police department has been understaffed and under-compensated,” said Cpl. O’Brien Atkinson, president of the county’s Fraternal Order of Police. “That is no position to be in when we face serious threats from drug dealers and from gangs.
“We now have fewer police officers than we had when Schuh took office, gang violence has gotten worse, and despite claims to the contrary, the heroin epidemic is still wildly out of control.  Schuh committed publicly to increase staffing levels by at least 20 percent, yet today, we have fewer officers than we had when he took office.
“Steuart Pittman understands the problems. He will set aside partisan politics and get to work solving them,” Atkinson said.
In making this endorsement, the police officers join teachers, firefighters and environmental advocates in support of Pittman’s campaign.
“Our county’s spending priorities have been wrong,” said Pittman. “We have spent taxpayers’ money incentivizing development, rather than investing in the people who protect us and educate our children.
“Our police officers are being forced to work back-to-back shifts, filling in to meet our needs wherever they arise. We’ve known for years what it would take to fix this problem, and we have the money to do it. We have to do it.
“I knew when I entered this race that I would have the backs of our police officers,” said Pittman. “It’s an honor that they also have mine.”
Previous Article

Registration open for 5th Annual Lifeline 100

Next Article

Daily News Brief | August 14, 2018

You might be interested in …