President’s Address - 1/30/24
Members,
I greet you with extreme optimism that your New Year is off to a great start! I want to thank all our members for your support and commitment to the Afro-American Police Officers’ League (AAPOL). It is in my hope that more members will join me so we can work together to accomplish the goals of our organization. We are looking for station stewards, committee members and your presence at our monthly membership luncheon every third Tuesday. We also want to encourage everyone to make sure you stay updated on your mandatory trainings and if you are interested in taking outside training, AAPOL can be a resource for you.
AAPOL has stood in the gap for the past forty-nine years and have worked diligently to support and represent our members and the community with great pride, enthusiasm, and respect as the second largest employee group within the Houston Police Department. My continued vision for this organization is to take AAPOL to the next level. One major goal of AAPOL is that my team and I are committed to work tirelessly to help AAPOL get its own building so we can maximize membership benefits that will allow us to showcase zeal advocacy for our members on a larger and more independent scale.
Recently we celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As we are approaching Black History Month let us not forget about the sacrifices many of our trailblazers made so the people coming behind them would have better opportunities. It has been documented in the history books the challenges our trailblazers had to overcome just to have a seat at the table.
Additionally, I want to assure every person reading this message that I am committed to being accessible and responsive to all officers, members, professional partners, and community stakeholders’ needs. I want to also emphasize the importance of unity and inclusivity. AAPOL is a diverse organization representing over 900 employees and we must embrace our differences while striving towards a common goal. We will continue to work towards fostering a sense of belonging, promoting equality, and ensuring that every member feels represented and heard in this department. This year, we will focus on several key areas to further enhance the progress we have made since 1975. I am filled with optimism and determination as we enter the year of 2024. Together, I believe we can help improve our organization, the department and the City of Houston.
Furthermore, I want to address a crucial issue that has been at the forefront of discussions recently. This is the importance of eradicating discrimination, harassment, and subliminal racial undertones within policing. As law enforcement professionals, we must serve and protect every community member, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. Everyone deserves equal treatment, justice, and fairness under the law.
Being transparent in any endeavor is always encouraged and this organization prides itself on that. AAPOL’s goal is to always be clear in their messaging and not strive towards anything that can be potentially disseminated in a way that can be taken as thoughtless and unprofessional. The messaging in our profession should always be considered and thought through because we have had law enforcement professionals who have been victims of discrimination, harassment, and have worked in hostile workplace environments that has gone unnoticed and unproven throughout the history of time. Together, we can create an environment where discrimination has no place and there is no tolerance for retaliation.
It is never okay in the workplace that have artifacts that depicts anything that can be viewed as offensive to the naked eye. It is never okay in a workplace that we as law enforcement professionals should be described as anything that doesn’t have a positive undertone. As law enforcement professionals our goals should include planting positive seeds that encourage harmony within our department’s culture and community relations. Moreover, as we move to a more progressive, thoughtful, and inclusive society, we must remain fortuitous and conscientious about how our actions and thoughts can affect others if we claim that we truly care about our brothers and sisters.
In this journey, we want to re-emphasize the importance AAPOL. AAPOL serves as a platform for our voices to be heard and represents us as a collective force. It is a vehicle that promotes unity, progress, and positive change within our organization. We encourage every law enforcement professional to take pride in AAPOL and utilize it to amplify their voice, address concerns, and work towards a more inclusive and equitable future. Silence only perpetuates the problem, while speaking up empowers us to make real change. Let us break the cycle of revictimization by blaming those parties who lack early reporting and may sometimes feel they must go along to get along. Let us break the cycle of believing that when you see something, you must laugh to keep from crying. We all need to break this cycle and report your findings according to departmental policy.
Internal growth should be used as a beacon of light for us all. As law enforcement professionals we want to refrain from leaning onto our own understanding when we face a challenge and lean on a higher understanding that is greater than our own. As law enforcement professionals on this path of rebuilding community relations and redressing the flaws within consistent police reform, we must remain steadfast in the ever-growing change of a more progressive and inclusive work and community environment. We hurt for anyone who has endured the rooted waves of a hostile work environment and discrimination. We hurt for anyone who loses the ability to feed their families as they go through a legal process. Nobody wins. I repeat. Nobody wins.
In closing, we must stand united within our organization and in our interactions with the public. By standing together, we can help transform policing that truly reflects the ideals of equality, justice, and fairness. It is a mutual responsibility to ensure that every person we encounter feels safe, respected, and confident in our ability to serve them without bias and/or prejudice. By actively working together in harmony, we not only uphold the principles of justice and equality but also strengthen the trust and bond between policing and the community we serve. Our commitment to these principles should be unwavering and by doing so we will showcase a unified force bound by our pledge to serve and protect.
Respectfully,
Brandon Love
President
