CORRECTIONS
Conservative, liberal,
moderate?
During any election cycle, what matters most is
that we, as law enforcement professionals, vote in
the interests of our families and our occupations.
Disregarding partisan politics, we must stand to-
gether and vote for the people and issues that di-
rectly affect us. Too often, we focus on emotional
issues that impact our psyche but have a negligible
impact on our future or our wallets.
I choose to vote, therefore, based on issues that
directly impact my family and my profession. At
BRIAN
DAWE
the forefront of these issues is our right to collec-
tively bargain. We should not be relegated merely
to punching the clock, cashing our checks, shutting our mouths
and being good little security guards. We do not patrol empty
warehouses or play Walmart security cop. Roughly 40,000 of us
are assaulted — and nearly a dozen are killed — in the line of
duty every year. We deserve the right to speak up and negotiate
contracts, and we should vote for those who respect what we do
enough to allow us to keep that right.
I believe in the death penalty under certain circumstances.
I believe that segregation is a necessary tool to manage the in-
mate population and provide safety for civilian staff, officers
and the inmates themselves, and I support candidates who do
as well.
I support the Second Amendment, but I do not think anyone
should own an F-16. I believe in common sense. I don’t think
the mentally ill or violent felons should have guns or that civil-
ians should be allowed to purchase metal piercing “cop-killer”
ammo.
History is proof: prohibition costs law enforcement officers’
lives, so policies that aim to halt this trend get my support. That’s
why I believe that the “war” on drugs has been a monumental
failure, one that has put added stress on law enforcement of-
ficers across the board. This “war” has cost billions of dollars
and thousands of lives. Not just civilian lives, either. During the
years of alcohol prohibition, murders of law enforcement offi-
cers more than doubled, increasing from 102 to 261 per year.
During the war on drugs, we have seen a 31 percent increase
in LEO deaths. Is this “war” at least working? Not unless you’re
a gang banger or a drug dealer. Street drugs are more plentiful,
more powerful and cheaper than ever before. Ironically, it’s legal
drugs that are far deadlier.
According to the United States Center for Disease Control,
439,000 Americans kill themselves every year with nicotine.
More than 80,000 kill themselves with alcohol, while 48,000
used prescription drugs to end their lives. Combined, heroin
and cocaine claimed 31,000 lives last year — compare that to
the 608,000 who died from “legal” drugs. For every American
who dies from illegal drugs, more than 20 die from legal drugs.
Those are facts. Why aren’t the Marlboro Man, Jack Daniels and
your local CVS pharmacist doing time? Because they have great
lobbyists. This “war” has nothing to do with our health; it has
always been about “pay to play.” If you think I’m exaggerating,
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ NOVEMBER 2018
look at Big Tobacco — they’ve been knowingly killing us and ly-
ing about it for decades while lining their pockets.
Money should be removed from politics so that “pay to play”
stops. Our politicians should listen to us based on the issues
we face, rather than how much of a campaign contribution we
can make. Wouldn’t it be better to put all the PAC monies we
have used to get our voices heard into other causes that would
directly benefit our day-to-day lives, rather than a politician’s
campaign?
Speaking of money in politics, I think prison privatization is
one of the biggest threats we’re facing, now that the Janus deci-
sion has weakened our ability to get our collective voices heard.
Introducing the profit motive into any law enforcement agen-
cy directly impacts public safety. There are certain government
functions that should never be privatized, and corrections is
one of them. When the oath shifts from public safety to corpo-
rate profit, everyone except the shareholders loses.
As for taxes, as a public employee, I won’t vote for a politician
who says they won’t raise taxes. Taxes are how we get paid, how
our raises are set, staffing levels determined, pensions and ben-
efits funded. As a citizen, I want the fire department to respond
at full strength, the police to come ASAP when called, Homeland
Security to keep the terrorists at bay, the Border Patrol to protect
against illegal immigration and our military to safeguard our
freedoms. All those services come from taxes. Although there
are some programs I’d rather my taxes did not go toward, voting
against responsible taxation can result in decreased wages and
benefits and more dangerous working conditions.
It stands to reason, therefore, that I vote for politicians who
are pro-collective bargaining, anti-privatization, pro-policies
that support law enforcement officers and in favor of fund-
ing public safety. The other issues are personal and rarely im-
pact my family or my profession in day-to-day life. Still, these
“hot-button” issues are skillfully used to divide us.
What’s my point? Think before you vote. What issues really
impact you and your family’s security? Don’t get caught up in
the “conservative vs. liberal,” or “D vs. R” propaganda. Vote for
your family, your future, your profession and your wallet.
Brian Dawe spent 16 years as a state correctional officer in Mas-
sachusetts, beginning on May 31, 1982. He is a co-founder of the
Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, administra-
tor for the Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition and the
executive director for Corrections USA and the American Cor-
rectional Officer. He is the originator and owner of the American
Correctional Officer Intelligence Network.