The Patriot Post® · Officer Slager Wasn't Unionized. And That's a Good Thing.

The North Charleston Police Department wasted no time terminating Officer Michael Slager’s employment after a video captured him discharging eight rounds on 50-year-old Walter Scott, an unarmed black suspect. Slager isn’t the first police officer to be face punishment for superfluous behavior that took a person’s life, but the department’s swift response sheds light on a little talked about policy involving labor unions. In fact, there are many examples in which officers who reacted with similar instincts were allowed back on to the police force – or, in the case of Oakland Police Officer Hector Jimenez, reinstated twice after shooting two unarmed men in separate altercations. Writing in The Daily Signal, James Sherk points out, “Slager’s quick dismissal from the department stands in stark contrast to similar incidents in other cities which, unlike North Charleston, have unionized police departments. Often police unions prevent officers from being dismissed without a lengthy arbitration process — even when they have flagrantly abused their power.” In other words, Slager would likely still be a member of the police force in most other cities thanks to union protection. The same unions that likewise shield underperforming and in some cases salacious teachers. Big Labor claims to protect individuals, but what they often end up doing is providing a sanctuary for recklessness. More…