Police Officers Association of Michigan endorses Trump

Lansing — The Police Officers Association of Michigan endorsed President Donald Trump's re-election in a statement Thursday as a debate over law enforcement strategies plays out on the national stage.

"President Trump never fails to recognize our homeland's security personnel at home and abroad," said the labor organization's president, James Tignanelli, in a statement. "He supports the police while the previous administration preferred to insult them or to find them guilty without due process."

The statement added, "At a time when civic leaders are choosing to tolerate televised felonies because a group of people are 'offended,' we need real leadership."

In response to the endorsement, Tim Murtaugh, Trump's campaign spokesman, contended that former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has "caved in to the ‘defund the police’ movement."

However, in a June 10 opinion piece in USA Today, Biden called for reforms but said he doesn't support defunding the police.

"The better answer is to give police departments the resources they need to implement meaningful reforms and to condition other federal dollars on completing those reforms," Biden added.

At the state level, the Police Officers Association of Michigan has one of the most active political action committees connected to law enforcement.

In its endorsement, the group said Trump had restored "the sharing of surplus military equipment and tools to our members" and noted that the president "opposes any form of 'defunding'" police.

The association endorsed Trump in 2016.

cmauger@detroitnews.com