The president of the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association urged President Trump not to comment on how local departments are attempting to keep the peace on their streets amid massive demonstrations and riots protesting the death of George Floyd.
“On behalf of the police chiefs in this country: Please, if you don’t have anything constructive to say, keep your mouth shut,” Chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday on CNN. “Because you’re putting men and women in their early 20s at risk.”
Houston Police Chief @ArtAcevedo: “Let me just say this to the President of the United States, on behalf of the police chiefs of this country: please, if you don’t have something constructive to say, keep your mouth shut.” pic.twitter.com/z5AJpOO0RO
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) June 1, 2020
Acevedo, the chief in Floyd’s hometown of Houston, was referencing demands made by Trump of local governors and law enforcement that they “dominate” the streets and work quickly to quell any violent displays by otherwise peaceful protesters.
“You have to dominate, or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks. You have to arrest and try people,” Trump reportedly said during a conference call with governors on Monday.
In a speech later that day, he threatened to deploy the military to control riots if local officials failed to do it on their own.
“I’m dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults, and the wanton destruction of property,” Trump said. “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary … then I’ll deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.”
Several high-ranking military officials have expressed discomfort with Trump’s tough talk.
“I believe that we in America should not get used to or accept uniformed service members of any variety having to be put in a position where they are having to secure people inside the United States of America,” said Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden, the adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, according to CNN.
Trump has shifted his focus away from the message of the peaceful protesters and instead called attention to the widespread looting, arson, and vandalism that have broken out amid the demonstrations.
Calling himself the “law and order” president, Trump, along with Attorney General William Barr, has blamed antifa, a loosely organized anti-fascist group, for the violence in major cities across the country.
Acevedo said placing blame is unproductive while local police are working to keep citizens safe.
“This is not Hollywood. This is real life,” he said. “And real lives are at risk.”
