While we would not take second place to anyone in our support of municipal police departments, we sometimes see behavior by police unions that could have a negative effect on public safety.
New York City, which has one of the finest and most celebrated police forces in the United States, would like to impose a new rule on its police officers. To wit: If a police officer shoots someone that officer must take a sobriety test. Such a rule seems sensible: it would not only protect police officers from unsupported accusations of unprovoked actions, but it will also provide a level of safety for all citizens.
Now the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), which is the union for most police officers, has raised an objection. They do not think that police should be as responsible as others are required to be.
This is simply another example of a union putting its own self interest above that of the general public. Unfortunately, unalloyed self-interest has often been an historical pattern of organized labor.
