The Greensboro Police Officers Association issued a press release on Thursday, Oct. 14 titled, “The Greensboro Police Department (GPD) is under attack.”
The release notes that Office D.A. Young was nearly shot on Monday, Oct. 11 when attempting to make a traffic stop. And that in the past year two GPD officers were targets of pre-meditated assaults. It states, “In other words, they were lured to a location, ambushed and/or caught by a surprise, intentional attack. But, for the training, resourcefulness and quick appropriate action of the GPD, the officers were likely to be killed while simply doing their jobs. The GPD is one of the highest rated police departments in the State of North Carolina and the Southeast. The GPOA expresses frustration and incredulity at the lack of outcry against the attack on police officers and the lack of support for our officers.”
The release asks the leadership of Greensboro to make public statements in support of the GPD and in condemnation of attacks both physical and verbal against GPD officers.
It also asks the Greensboro City Council to adequately fund the Police Department noting that GPD officers are leaving “on a weekly basis for neighboring and other local police departments where they experience significantly less danger on a daily basis, a much reduced workload and the same (and often greater) compensation. The GPD is currently understaffed by approximately 100 officers!”
The release also asked that full body worn camera videos be released to the public, “not just edited portions taken out of context.”
It states, “We trust citizens (even without Basic Law Enforcement Training) to view this footage, themselves, and come to their own conclusions. As a result, the GPOA has consistently demanded, requested, and petitioned the court for the public release of ALL body worn camera footage so it can be reviewed, unedited, by the public.”
Currently, state law prohibits the release of any police body worn camera videos to the public without a court order. The Greensboro City Council recently had to go to court to obtain permission to view police body worn camera videos that are evidence in the wrongful death lawsuit the parents of Marcus Deon Smith filed against the city.
Read the comments here on the Rhino Times and anyone can see how much and often the citizens of Greensboro make assessments of the actions of how the Policemen are treated and put down and devaluated. DOES ANYONE PAY ATTENTION OR SHOW ANY CARE OR ANY ACTIONS TAKEN THAT IS TRUE AND FAIR TO THE POLICEMENT. WE have NO white men on the City Council which is very important to fair and just treatment to EVERYONE in Greensboro. The judgement of the arrests depends on WHO and what RACE is arrested. Even the Idea of paying an out of control drug using person that can’t even help himself nor depend on his family is not to be believed. The police has NO person in charge that is capable of dealing with the situation that has become desperate to handle. AND IT is going to get worse. Keep it up, keep begging for HELP and do NOTHING about it. That is the way of Greensboro NOW.
What does skin color have to do with leadership? Sure have too many democrats. Notice you also like to say White men…is that because you believe women can’t lead?
Chris if you need to talk about women’s leadership just look at the sad state of affairs of all the women led democrat states as well as the women leaders in Greensboro then tell us if you really think women are good leaders you really are as you say an independent “liberal moron “ I think you and “the tuna” would make a great couple
Avoiding the race question?
I don’t avoid any question I try not to involve race when it’s not necessary unlike your independent liberal democrats who use race when nothing else will stick to the wall
Cannot wait to see and hear the responses from our”leadership”.It should be time for a public outcry instead of a whimper.
Not expecting much from this Council.
Agreed!
A civil society must have good police departments! The city must support our police officers!
If you want a better city with less violence then vote the dems Out! They along with our government do not support the police! They want to defund them! Well go right ahead and people will soon learn what it is like to live in a war zone.
I back our GPD 100%. It is a shame that our city leaders(?) don’t do the same. The article is correct and I am sure there are others making decisions to leave. Save them before this city becomes a Dodge City or Old Tucson
This is how the Progressive’s work. The more chaos the better. Keep everything in turmoil and division. It’s also a product of the environment. Unfortunately, Greensboro is not that good of a city.
That sounds more like a GOP strategy. You know, by claiming fraud when there was none so they can diminish confidence in the electoral system so they can change laws to commit Legal Fraud in the future.
Tell me how that isn’t creating choas?
I think there are many many citizens who support the GPD but until the city council gets behind them and give them the resources they need and DESERVE nothing will change. Frankly I think the whole council needs to be voted out and we start all over again.
I cannot agree with you more. If it’s in Office now on City Council – vote it OUT.
Council will not respond because they do not care. They say they care, especially in an election year, but their actions speak louder than words. The leadership of the police department is not innovative or able to use any outside the box thinking. They collect a check.
Since moving here from NY 5 years ago, I am very saddened about the Greensboro communities take on crime and the lack of support to our Police Dept. I come from a long line of law enforcement family and it just saddens how bad the crime rate is since moving here.
What’s it gonna take for the City Council to make a move, until something happens to one of them Personally?
I know some members of the council read these comments so I’m issuing a challenge so do an online survey or a mailing survey to ask the citizens of Gso. what kind of job we think you are doing. We dare you
Until you vote these people out it will not change. You have to be vocal at their meetings too and call them out. Take back your city. Right now it ranks #8 in crime despite the great work the GPD do. Thankful I live in the county but our Sherriff is no better.
Doesn’t matter how many cops there are or what their budget is. Practically any noob, felon or nutjob can buy a handgun anywhere in this state for $500, even those who are in the NICS database. I know 4 people who own guns who shouldn’t and some would go to jail for LIFE if caught. Until we get the casual gun sellers, pawnshops and fences out of the gun business you’re going to have felons and gangbang knuckleheads with nothing to lose playing cowboy. Would LOVE to see the bodycam video of these recent incidents. ALL such cam footage should be uploaded and made available promptly to the taxpaying public since we paid for the cameras and salaries. If its a matter of getting MORE cops on the street and investing in better servers, I’d pay a half cent more Local Option Sales Tax to fund that. Full transparency for ALL public agencies is more than worth it. Hopefully it will also fund a no-questions-asked buyback program where we can get a lot of these cheap guns out of the hands of dangerous felons.
I’d also wish the GPD made it a policy announcement that if a citizen discharges a loaded firearm in the city limits, that person will be hunted down and shot. No negotiation. No Miranda rights. Just a bullet in the head from far enough away to keep everyone else safe.
Your comments are not only idiotic, but untrue. A felon cannot go buy a gun anywhere in the state. Gun laws are pretty strict. Pawn shops operate under similarly strict guidelines. And since they like to stay in business, they are not likely to mess around with an illegal gun sale in the store. Most felons that possess a weapon have obtained it illegally by either buying on the street, stealing it, or having an associate make a straw purchase. A straw purchase, for those that don’t know, is where you have your friend who has no criminal record buy the gun and then give it to you, the felon. Straw purchases are illegal, and charges are made when the police are able to do so. Also, when a felon is caught possessing a firearm, they usually get about 3 to 5 years automatically if convicted of the possession. So no, stores are not in the business of selling guns to felons as they would be liable for providing the weapon to the felon.
As to your other point of shooting people who discharge a gun, it merits no response really. That’s pretty much saying welcome to Nazi Germany man. Due process is a thing in America and capital punishment for a misdemeanor is pretty much a fascist stance.
Well said Timmy.
If you’re that concerned why if you’re such a law abiding citizen don’t you all crime stoppers on these 4 law breakers or are you just full of horse crap
Yes, that’s legal. (Sarcasm).
Most guns used in crimes and homicides are stolen. Not purchased from a gun shop, pawn shop, or an old man selling his collection. Stolen.
The effect of “wokeism” at work.
Soo NOW that the City Council has transferred $900.000 to “Cure the Violence” fund there is NOT enough money to support the Police!!!! This behavior would never make any sense to anyone except the ALL most all women on the City Council. WHEN are THEY going to be STOPPED!!!
I see this press release had about as much success as the libs who screamed at the sky when Trump won. Get real GPOA. Neither the public at large nor the City Council care enough about what happens to a cop to bother to lift a finger. Sure the police have “support” from the average person on the street, but it’s only a verbal “thanks for your service”, no ome is going to lift a finger to vote these chuckle heads out or to actually make GPD a competitive agency in NC.
41 murders and counting….check.
100+ GPD vacancies and counting….check.
Union screams at the sky….check.
Actual change caused or inspired by a powerless union……fail.
The best thing we can do for the Greensboro Police Officers Association is to REPLACE the entire City Council.