Bob Kroll, Minneapolis police union's leader is violent, racist, and has to go.
Join us as we call on MN elected officials and police officers to denounce Kroll and demand his resignation.
Dear friend,
As hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets demanding justice for George Floyd and the countless of other Black people who've been murdered and brutalized at the hands of the police, Bob Kroll, head of the Minneapolis police union, was quick to call George Floyd a “violent criminal,” and equate the national protests to a “terrorist movement.” Kroll is even actively defending the four officers who participated in killing George.1 What's clear : Bob Kroll is an enemy to police accountability and reform -- and for that, he must go.
It shouldn’t be a surprise. Kroll is a white supremacist and racist who has worn a white supremacist badge, associated with other white supremacist cops, made many racist statements, and committed unprovoked brutality himself.2 He’s said, “I’ve been involved in three shootings myself, and not a one of them has bothered me.”3
Kroll, like many police union leaders, is notorious for defending dangerous and abusive cops, resisting any form of accountability for police officers, and doing everything possible to block change. If we want to see change, we need to confront police unions, some of the biggest obstacles to accountability and reform. Kroll has to go, and outing him will put other police unions on notice that we can successfully challenge their power.
When Minneapolis Mayor James Frey ended the warrior-style police training program called "killology," a system linked to the police killing of Philando Castile in nearby Falcon Heights, Kroll called the mayor's decision "illegal" and continued providing the training that teaches police how to use lethal force against the very people they are entrusted to serve and protect.4 The former police chief of Minneapolis has called on Kroll to resign, along with the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and Education Minnesota (a teachers’ union).5
Kroll and the police union he leads aren’t unique. Police unions across the country fight against police reform and accountability with everything they have. They routinely defend violent and abusive officers and often succeed in getting violent cops reinstated after they are fired. They use their political power to fight reform and win contracts that effectively put police above the law. They attack and threaten anyone who dares to challenge the police, including activists, elected officials, and everyday people.
We can be sure that every good idea for ending police brutality and abuse -- from the most basic reforms to dismantling the police altogether -- will meet with vicious opposition from police unions.
It’s time to confront police unions and expose their role in perpetuating police brutality, shielding violent police from accountability, and blocking change. It’s why we’re partnering with a new effort, Police Unions Exposed, focused on educating everyday people about the problematic nature of police unions and their role as the anchor of unaccountable policing and enabling us to push back.
Confronting Bob Kroll and the Minneapolis police union is the first step in challenging the power of police unions across the country. By forcing Kroll out of leadership at the Minneapolis Police Federation, we can send a powerful message to police unions everywhere : if you continue to promote and defend police violence, your power will be taken away.
Until justice is real,
Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Madison, Leonard, Cheryl, and the rest of the Color of Change team.
References :
- " Anger as local police union chief calls George Floyd a 'violent criminal.' " The Guardian. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/250504?t=5&akid=43870%2E1942551%2EyHLgDz
- "Activists claim police union chief Bob Kroll is racist." City Pages. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/250505?t=7&akid=43870%2E1942551%2EyHLgDz
- Minneapolis Police Union President : "I've been involved in three shootings myself, and not one of them bothered me." https://act.colorofchange.org/go/250506?t=9&akid=43870%2E1942551%2EyHLgDz
- "Minneapolis Banned Warrior-Style Police Training. Its Police Union Kept Offering It Anyway." Mother Jones. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/250507?t=11&akid=43870%2E1942551%2EyHLgDz
- "AFL-CIO joins call for Mpls. Police Union's Bob Kroll to resign." KARE 11. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/250508?t=13&akid=43870%2E1942551%2EyHLgDz
ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.
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