New Bedford City Council Unanimously Backs the Blue [OPINION]

One of the largest cities in Massachusetts has gone on the record against legislative attacks on the men and women who serve and protect as police officers.

The city of New Bedford has been a beacon of enlightenment on the matters of policing since the death of George Floyd. The credit belongs to all sides of the conversation in the seacoast city. While radicals and rioters put the torch to cities across America, including Boston, Providence, Brockton, and New York City, New Bedford was the location of conversation, not senseless destruction.

The local protests inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement were loud and they were legal. Those protesting the death of George Floyd were dignified and they received the respect they earned by operating as a legitimate political movement.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, a former federal prosecutor and a longtime Democrat, assembled a blue-ribbon commission of locals to examine the use of force policies for his police department.

The state of Massachusetts isn't the city of New Bedford. There are lots of left-wing politicians on Beacon Hill and the "defund the police" movement found fertile ground there.

Locally, New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro and the men and women of the New Bedford Police Union worked to educate the local leaders about the realities of policing and in particular the importance of qualified immunity. The taxpayers of New Bedford owe a debt of gratitude to Chief Cordeiro and Union President Hank Turgeon for the work they did on this matter.

New Bedford City Council President Joe Lopes deserves tremendous credit for leading the council to a unanimous vote on the importance of preserving qualified immunity for police officers. The city has five elected representatives in the Massachusetts House and a state senator; all of them work well with the city council.

Every city and town needs a police department that is disciplined and appreciated. The leaders of New Bedford have set a standard for other cities and towns.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.