Town Board taking away rights

[r5mcmichael]

My Town Board is telling the department that we are not allowed to campaign for upcoming sheriff canidate. Has anybody delt with a town board that has tried to take away your right to get involved in the electoral process?

[KY PO]

As a state employee I am not allowed to openly support any candidate.

[OLDSPLE]

On or Off duty ?

[r5mcmichael]

The police department took a group photo with other agencies off duty and out of uniform supporting a canidate. The Town Board is threatening disciplinary action. The Town Board state that we are representatives of the town and can not campaign. However the Town Board has political signs in thier yards.

[towncop]

The police department took a group photo with other agencies off duty and out of uniform supporting a canidate. The Town Board is threatening disciplinary action. The Town Board state that we are representatives of the town and can not campaign. However the Town Board has political signs in thier yards.

Hey brother, I feel your pain. I once worked in a SMALL town police department here in Indiana where the town board thought they held all the power in their hands. However, here in Indiana, as long as you are not campaigning for a candidate on town time, or in uniform (NOTHING POLICE RELATED), there is not a damn thing that they can do to you. NOTHING.

Trust me on this, my wife is an attorney and during a couple of elections I had her keep on top of this very topic. If you need anything else, let me know either on here or via PM. By the way, if you wouldn't mind, PM me the town you work for, I'm very curious to see which other town is as backwards as my old employer.

EDIT.... Just saw your profile. I went to the academy with a guy from your department awhile back. I think he now works for the sheriff's department. Gimme a yell if you'd like. I'd even go ahead and give a head's up to the FOP legal section in Indy and contact Dr. Charles Braun at ILEA.

[hounddog]

this is off topic, but what is the deal in Roseland? :rolleyes: Are they looking for a new chief again? I heard this like 5th hand today as I have relative that lives and works for a dept. very near there. He is always telling me very entertaining stories regarding them, but doesn't know the whole story.

[KY PO]

On or Off duty ?


Either. I suppose I can talk about it....off duty, but I cannot actually take part in anything other than voting. Even if my mother was running for office I couldn't do anything for the campaign.

[jeffIL]

You can support whatever candidate you want off duty. Contact the FOP or a lawyer. Just be prepared to pay the price if your guy loses.

[OLDSPLE]

You can support whatever candidate you want off duty. Contact the FOP or a lawyer. Just be prepared to pay the price if your guy loses.


Thats about it :)

[L-1]

Here's the rule in California:

GC 3302. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, or whenever on duty
or in uniform, no public safety officer shall be prohibited from
engaging, or be coerced or required to engage, in political activity.

(b) No public safety officer shall be prohibited from seeking
election to, or serving as a member of, the governing board of a
school district.

[r5mcmichael]

Hounddog there is a rumor floating around Rockville that one of the town board members wants to demote the chief and fire an officer, so that she can hire and make her husband chief.