Delaware’s Fraternal Order of Police has been too busy resisting any and all attempts to reform policing in Delaware and hold violent police officers accountable to get that heavily involved in political campaigns yet this year, but we do know they have their candidate for New Castle County Executive.
Maggie Jones.
FOP Lodge 5, which represents the New Castle County Police, had a falling out with County Executive Matt Meyer, who, unlike the last County Executive, refused to pander to them and cave into all of their ludicrous demands. As such, with the help of the State FOP, FOP Lodge 5 went on the hunt to recruit a candidate to run against Meyer. And that’s how they found Maggie Jones, who last tested the political waters when she was one of 6 candidates to compete for the nomination for the 10th Senate District seat after Lt. Governor Bethany Hall Long vacated the seat in 2017. Jones was all too happy to accept their support. Support she should have thought twice about accepting in this current political environment.
So what makes the Delaware FOP and FOP Lodge 5 so awful? A scan of their social media easily reveals their reprehensible views which should revolt any Democratic voter with a sound mind.
First of all, they enthusiastically support Trump. They endorsed him and they’ve made numerous posts adoring him and fawning over him, as well as criticizing impeachment proceedings against him. Meanwhile, they’ve bashed Democrats like President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.
And they absolutely hate Black Lives Matter. FOP Lodge 5 shared an article exposing “the myths of Black Lives Matter”, as well as another post that called peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters a “pack of rabid animals.”
They also made several posts that furiously protested the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer who murdered Eric Garner. Apparently, they believe that officers who suffocate unarmed black men should be able to keep their jobs.
The FOP’s support for police officer violence and shielding bad officers has had clearly fatal consequences. In 2013, Dover PD officer Thomas Webster was caught on camera viciously kicking an unarmed black man in the face and breaking his jaw while he defenselessly laid face down on the ground. Fred Calhoun, the President of the State FOP (who recently sponsored and spoke at Maggie Jones’ fundraiser) rushed to the officer’s defense and fiercely opposed attempts to discipline or prosecute him. And instead of ending up in prison where he belonged, Officer Webster got a new job with a police agency in Maryland. And within a year on the job, Webster ended up involved in the killing a 19 year-old black man, whom he and three other officers suffocated to death, much in the same way that George Floyd was later suffocated in Minnesota.
More recently, the FOP has supported a violent police response to the George Floyd protests. On June 10, a group held a peaceful protest involving nonviolent civil disobedience in Dover. The Dover Police officers on the scene responded by confronting protestors, escalating tensions, throwing protestors to the ground, roughing them up, injuring them, arresting them, and detaining them while denying them due process rights. In response, the Governor and Attorney General offered some very restrained and sensible criticism of the Dover PD’s actions.
In reaction to these mild critiques, the FOP blew up and posted a furious letter on Facebook, declaring that “Law enforcement is under attack” and that the Governor and the Attorney General “stand against us today because we wear the badge.” Spare me.
As you can see in this screenshot, Maggie Jones liked that post, indicating her agreement with the contents of the post. Indeed, if you think the county police have been too soft on peaceful protesters, and you think they should be manhandling protestors, throwing them to the ground, injuring them, and arresting them- then by all means, Maggie Jones seems to be your candidate. I am sure she would be be happy to encourage that kind of behavior. Or at the very least, not in any way criticize it or punish those responsible for it.
So, you can see why the FOP like Maggie Jones. But why do they hate Meyer? Well, first off, County Executive Matthew Meyer very publicly and proudly supports Black Lives Matter. So of course, they really don’t like that.
Secondly, the FOP demanded enormous police officer pay increases from Meyer, including raises of up to 20% but only for senior officials already making 6-digit salaries. When Meyer responded that the county could not afford that, they demanded that he cut library funding in order to pay police officers more. Meyer wanted to keep library funding the way it was, so he told them no.
Thirdly, when Meyer took office in 2017, he took a hard line on sexual harassment and got to work sniffing out and eliminating sexual harassment in county governmement. As it turns out, there had been sexual harassment in the NCCPD for decades, and the FOP leadership knew about it and did nothing. They maintained the blue wall of silence- not wanting to get another officer in trouble- so they turned a blind eye and let it happen. Then, when Meyer at long last exposed all this, instead of accepting blame for their role in perpetuating it, the FOP bizarrely turned around and blamed Meyer for the harassment. Even though he was the one who exposed it, and all of the harassment happened before he was in office. So the FOP is trying to make Meyer a scapegoat for their own failures, though it takes a whole lot of mental gymnastics to pin blame on him for something that happened before his administration. Go figure.
Finally, Meyer has been outspoken about changing Delaware’s Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights, which keeps police misconduct in Delaware a secret. The FOP actually wrote that law back in 1985, and they adamantly want to keep it just the way it is and are furious that people like Meyer want to change it. Because of this law, the public has no idea how many police officers in Delaware have been accused of brutality and excessive force. There could be Derek Chauvins among us, violent officers policing the streets of Delaware, and we would have no idea about it. Thanks, FOP.
The FOP’s enthusiastic support for Maggie Jones is more than enough reason not to vote for her. With Maggie, you’ll get an FOP puppet who will cut library and parks funding to give big bonuses to police, oppose policing reform, keep police misconduct secret, and give officers a blank check to use force as they please, even against defenseless, unarmed people and peaceful protestors. Reelecting Matthew Meyer continues New Castle County on a path away from the Tom Gordon police states of yesteryear.
Good work. We always need to know where the snakes are lurking in the grass.
It’s crazy how many elected Dems support her….
Thick as thieves, you might say.
Well now it looks like Matt Oscar Meyer Weiner is talking Dirty Politics 🙈💤
I love bloggers who don’t have the guts to put their names to their stories.
I met Maggie she has more integrity in her little finger then this guy!
Ed Osborne
Good Evening Ed, As far as I’m concerned.. Why do you?! Need my personal info?!
I have always believed if you have something to say say it proudly!!!
And attach your name to it !
If you’re hiding and no one cares about what you’re saying
Ed Osborne
If you’re hiding that no one cares about what you’re saying!
No, you don’t care. You speak for yourself, not everybody. And you must be new to the internet if you think everyone on it signs their real names to everything. Most of us don’t need the hassle of assholes making it personal.
It may be that it is a group of people who write for this publication. You can follow the links in the story and see that the police make a lot of money- even a Sgt. makes over 100k. I can imagine they may fear reprisals. Just saying. Follow the links in the story. Matt stood up for himself and refused to back down when confronted with his name on a giant rat. Maggie appeases to be in the pocket of the FOP. Police unions have terrific power. That is why it is so difficult to make any real change in the way they conduct themselves. J. R.
Christine
On second thought I think you and I are on the same side I’m talking about the person who wrote this story!!!
Everybody knows who he is, Ed, and everyone knows who I am. You know me quite well.
What everyone didn’t know is that Maggie Jones is an FOP stooge.
If you have any evidence to the contrary, produce it. Your name isn’t worth spit. If you could defend her you wouldn’t be attacking the author.
You’re till an ass Al!
Every accusation a confession.
I love commenters who don’t address the actual content of the article, and instead try to muddy the waters by attacking the author personally. When you first resort to ad hominem attacks, without addressing the issue, it means you cannot defend what is in the article. So either address the issue or be gone, Mr. Osborne.
What bothers me is his continual disrespect of women
Another tactic to muddy the waters, making this an attack on Mrs. Jones as a woman. LOL. I am far more concerned with her embrace of a police union that protects and endorses police brutality and that thinks black lives do not matter. Do black lives matter to you, Mr. Osborne?
Meyer must be running scared to have this kind of asinine surrogate posting about his opponent. Let Maggie speak. Don’t speak for her. The FOP don’t speak for her.
Love Delawareway
And agree 100%
You don’t have a leg to stand on, or you’d stand up. All you’re doing is attacking someone for pointing out what police stooge she is.
Make a case for her or shut the fuck up.
Do Black Lives Matter to you, Delawareway? I guess not.
It’s common knowledge that the FOP and the Building Trades were trying to find someone, anyone, to run against Meyer. Maggie was as close as they could get to fitting the bill. Just look at that host committee — mostly FOP, Building Trades and Tom Gordon hanger-ons. And one Dennis P. Williams enabler/stan.
If your biggest supporters are off message for you, you rein them in.
Attacking the people who dare to run against you is so fucking Tom Gordon it makes me puke.
Whoever wrote the article should change the prescription they are on. Who puts out crap like that?
Maggie is my daughter so I know her very well. She is no puppet I assure you. She is very very fair, but don’t cross the line. She will listen to both sides of a situation. She has never ever talked to me about cutting funds for libraries and parks… never. Give officers a blank check to use force as they please.. I doubt it… where did you come up with that line of you know what? Appreciate county officers… yes. Respect ALL county employees… I have no doubt that she will. Support unions… yes because we need decent wages to provide for families. Care about all of the residents… yes. Be financially responsible with our tax dollars… yes. She raised a family and put herself through college. She was not given things, she did it on her on. And now the FOP, many unions, State representatives and senators and mayors are supporting her. She is being supported by these groups and people because they want a change in the Executive office. I would be happy for the residents of New Castle County when Maggie wins. They will be getting a good person in office.
This speaks for itself. If you need your parents to stand up for you — in fucking politics for pity’s sake — you are not prepared to do the job.
She is the candidate of the corrupt, useless Delaware Democratic Party establishment. You want more Gordon-style inmates-running-the-asylum bullshit, vote for her. I don’t think most taxpayers are in any mood for someone who’s running to represent county employees.
At any rate, this is fucking pathetic. If she’s going to send Daddy out to advocate for her, maybe she’d be better off doing it herself.
Please, Pops, by all means send her here and let her explain away all the things that DelDem documented. We await her with bated breath.
Yes, AL wait with BAITED breathe. I’ve been around you and your breath does smell like fish bait. IDIOT!
Apparently you’re the idiot. The word is “bated,” as in “abated.” And you’re a dick.
If you really know me, come around to the house. I have something for you.
The FOP didn’t even endorse Gordon in 2106. As much as everyone here wants it make it so, this post is not about him. Do you people really hate all cops or just bad cops? No one wants the FOP to prevail in the fight for justice but even Penrose Hollins and Dave Carter worked with Meyer’s NCCPD chief to get something out on chokehold ban. It didn’t go far enough. Is that Meyer’s fault? Or David Carter’s fault for moving us forward if only in steps? If Jones is not the person you are claiming to be,and I do not believe she is for a second, maybe she is the person to take the next step in the right direction.
This post is nothing but an invention but its poison is being spread across facebook by Jordyn Pusey and her followers at every turn. Pusey writes that Jones must be a racist because one of her supporters posted memes about the Chinese. She told me that she feared for the organization I lead because why? while she is married to a racist boogaloo boy AKA-toting REOPEN EVERYTHING MY RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED as vicious of a pair as you can get.
I don’t speak for this candidate. I am glad her dad is speaking up for her. I have asked her to put out a position statement on racial justice so this kind of asinine shit gets put to rest. DE Dem was on Al’s blog just last week calling all of them Trump supporters. He called me someone to whom Black lives must not matter right here. What a stooge. And Al is clueless about the DEMs in power or he’d be aware how far Meyer is up Coons ass as are all of these Blue DE authors.
Maggie Jones marched for Black Lives Matter. She is quite able to speak for hersellf on where she is coming from and she should certainly do it sooner than later on her own terms. And these ass holes should apologise when she does. I will link her statement to this post when it is published. She needn’t bother coming here herself and I wouldn’t advise it.
2016
I had no problem with Coons as county executive. Coons > Gordon. I’m not interested in electing county hourly workers to run the county, for all the obvious reasons. I’m not interested in taking care of county employees, I’m interested in taking care of the rest of the populace.
“She is quite able to speak for herself…she needn’t bother coming here herself.” That sums up the logic of this comment.
It’s not about “hating” individual cops, it’s about handing political power to police agencies, which already have too much political power.
Nancy, you can pretend that your need to reply to my every comment online isn’t on behalf of Maggie, but we both know you’re acting on behalf of her campaign, your language is the same verbatim language each of her supporters use. It’s the same language the FOP uses – ad hominem attacks and falsehoods – to deflect from your candidates shortcomings.
Meyer’s supporters aren’t denouncing the Black Lives Matter movement as “racist.” Meyer himself isn’t liking posts on Facebook that say as much either – unlike Maggie. Showing up to a march pander to voters in Middletown is a whole lot different than proposing actual policies or better yet, working to enact change. Of course, Maggie won’t be doing that, because the necessary changes, changes that progressive Democrats actually support, the FOP are staunchly against. That’s one of the numerous reasons the FOP has propped up Maggie’s campaign and waged a year’s long obstruction and smear campaign against Meyer.
If you want to advance progressive causes, stop enabling a candidate who wants to stop them from happening.
I’m glad you find my husband’s political beliefs problematic, trust me, I don’t agree with them either. I trust you also take issue with Maggie’s husband’s political beliefs too, given his staunch support for Trump.
But If you need it so, I’ll be your huckleberry 😉
Abiding by commenter jgreen’s wishes, I’ve removed his posts re: DelawareDem. Doxxing or outing commenters or editors here is against our rules, as delawareway well knows. We respect whatever reasons anyone might be here under under a pseudonym, it just has to be a consistent pseud. We expect our participants to respect that too.
delawareway has been banned from this blog and our Facebook page for that doxxing.
as of today, the fraternal order of police, delaware included , are throwing their support toward Trump. People should seriously reconsider donating ANY money to the state police. when they call asking for money – let them know WHY you wouldn’t give them one thin DIME of your hard earned money…..If police are THAT STUPID that they don’t see that Trump is fueling and instigating the uproar. there was NO situation like this when Obama/Biden led our country for 8 years. Can’t believe how utterly STUPID the police are showing themselves to be.
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How many of you people making comments work for the police or know police officers? How many of you know how unions work? I don’t agree w how SOME police officers act, but every profession has had people. Do the police make high salaries? Depends on the view. Isn’t the expectation at almost any job the higher you move up and the longer you’re there the more your salary should increase? When you say 100k for a sgt does that seem high for someone who has been in that profession for over 10-15yrs risking their life running towards danger instead of away? If you think police officers make a lot of money wait until you see what people at financial institutions make just for having a VP title attached to their names, you’ll really be upset and this is just for sitting in an office all day. Should policing be transparent, of course. Should we group all officers as not caring for causes such as blm no way. View the whole picture before you throw stones or be disrespectful. Stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.
Make this salary comparison to teachers — who also spend their own money to outfit their classrooms — and we can talk. While I’m a fan of people doing serious work getting paid commensurate to that, I’m dead tired of listening to why police should be more privileged in this space than teachers are. And certain the police union finds no solidarity with either teachers or their union.
I know police officers and I know how unions work.
In what other profession do the “bad people” take away the lives of others, usually without significant repercussions? A surgeon pays millions of dollars in insurance over the course of a career to indemnify against accidental death. See if you can find another profession in which people are killed by its practioners.
Further, the police are employed by the public, and the public has a right to set its own standards of acceptable behavior. They run toward danger? That’s their job description. If you want to talk about danger on the job, look up the death and injury stats for the state police vs. DelDOT. I don’t see you making the case for them earning $100,000.
As for the risking-of-life factor, we pay soldiers a damn sight less for a lot more danger. Last time I looked 98% of officers will never fire their weapon off the firing range. “What about bankers” is the last refuge of the scoundrel. Of course I think they’re paid too much — but they aren’t public employees, so I have no say in how much they’re paid.
As for your notion that people who work at a job for many years should be paid more, I suggest you take a look at how age and experience are treated in the private sector. Spoiler alert: They get you fired. I also suggest you look at how few union employees of any sort earn $100,000. See, too, the list of highest-paid state employees. See if you can find another state department in which as high a percentage of employees earn six figures.
You’re entitled to your opinion, but it would be worth a lot more if you based it on more than your biases.
I forgot to add that criticisms of the police are about the institution, not the individuals.
But your point about bad actors would stand up to more scrutiny if the supposedly more numerous good cops would testify against the bad ones. They don’t. Hence the condemnation of the entire force.