San Jose Police Union 'Blue Lives Matter' PSA Upsets Community Members
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A group of San Jose police officers who are taking aim at the Black Lives Matter movement are upsetting members of their own community.
The San Jose Police Officer's Association released a new online video that states, "We are drawing the line in the sand, and this is going to stop now."
Their video, they say, is in response to growing violence against police.
"Where is the outrage when police officers are targeted for murder?" the viewer is asked in the video.
There have been 60 police officers fatally shot nationwide this year -- a 67 percent increase over 2015, according to the the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The association blames the troubling trend in part on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Paul Kelly, the president of the police union, said, "Black Lives Matter have threatened cops, have threatened violence, do talk about killing officers -- that we deserve it."
The video takes aim at the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the public, who the San Jose Police Officers' Association fears has grown indifferent to the violence they face.
Kelly said, "We can't step out of the patrol car or walk up to someone's house without thinking that someone could attack us or kill us just because we're in uniform."
Silicon Valley NAACP President Jethroe Moore said, "It is very damaging for them to put something like this out to disrespect Black Lives Matter and to disrespect us as a community that doesn't care."
Moore fears the video will backfire, serving only to deepen the distrust and division separating police and communities of color.
Moore said, "Tell the truth, that we've attended the funerals when officers have been killed. Tell the truth, that we call when officers are shot. Tell the truth, that we have a relationship with police. And stop fear-mongering."
Kelly said, "This is about asking to have that dialogue -- but to have the dialogue in a truthful manner with real facts, with groups that are credible who aren't promoting violence."
