With that I present "“The Letter” from Sargent Steve Fioritto, secretary FOP Western Cuyahoga Lodge 25 "and the “Response” from Council President Dan O’Malley, and Council Members-At Large Tristan Rader and Sarah Kepple.
Knowing many of the people in this, and knowing that they are good people who love Lakewood, the police and the jobs they do, I hope this blows over.
Council President Dan O’Malley said, “I have always supported Lakewood Police, their funding and what they do. I also believe in unions. So you can imagine how I felt reading this. Hopefully everyone will understand that it was a simple mix-up and overreaction to the times we are in.”
"I hope this will not distract folks from our important work, currently underway, to review and improve our policing policies." Councilman-At-Large Tristan Rader
June 8, 2020
Lakewood City Council:
The Western Cuyahoga County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #25 represents officers from North Olmsted, Fairview Park, Rocky River, Bay Village, Westlake, and Lakewood. These Cities are part of the Westshore Council of Governments and their police departments are part of the Westshore Enforcement Bureau.
On May 30th, members of the Westshore Enforcement Bureau Mobile Field Force ( WEB MFF) were asked to stand by as peaceful protests were going on in downtown Cleveland. As dusk fell, those protests began to turn into violent riots. A once peaceful protest turned into vandalism and looting. Members of the WEB MFF were then requested by Cleveland Police to respond and to protect the citizens and businesses of Cleveland. Approximately 75 officers from North Olmsted, Fairview Park, Rocky River, Bay Village, Westlake, and Lakewood responded. These officers, who were trying to protect the downtown businesses, were met by a violent crowd which threw objects at our officers and verbally harassed them. These well-trained officers showed great restraint on pushing back and dispersing the violent crowd that defied the lawful order to disperse as this was no longer a protest.
It was later learned that while these officers were put in great danger by these crowds that several members of Lakewood Council, Sarah Kepple, Triston Rader and Dan O’Malley remained downtown from the once peaceful protest they had attended, adding to the chaos. These so-called city leaders should have left the area once these protests began to turn violent but chose to remain and be part of the problem. Further on Tuesday, June 2nd, a protest from Cleveland was supposed to come to Lakewood. Early in the evening , the Lakewood Police were told that the protest was not coming to Lakewood after all and many of the officers held over for the protest were sent home. Lakewood later received a call from Cleveland Police that the protest was heading to Lakewood. Lakewood was able to recall enough officers to handle the situation with the assistance from the WEB MFF and CPD. Included in this peaceful protest was Council Member Kepple. Kepple was aware that the protest was coming to Lakewood and planned to eventually head to city hall and the police department, but she did not feel it necessary to share that information with the police department. The police department was tasked with not only ensuring the safety of the community but also the safety of the protesters. Not knowing the plan of the protesters once again put the police officers at a disadvantage and greater risk. Fortunately, this protest remained peaceful, partially due to the professionalism of the officers tasked with making it safe for everyone.
The FOP fully recognizes one’s First Amendment Rights and the right to protest but draws the line when these protests turn to criminal activity. The FOP demands a formal apology from these council members not only to the Lakewood Police, but to all the WEB police departments whose members were put into great danger on Saturday.
On the contrary, the FOP would like to thank Lakewood Mayor Meghan George. While her officers were in downtown Cleveland, she spent most of Saturday night at the police station monitoring the situation and offering whatever support the City could give to those officers. This is what a true city leader does. It does not matter what one’s political views are, our City leaders must know right from wrong and not contribute to the criminal behavior that was seen in downtown Cleveland that night. Thank you Mayor George.
Steve Fioritto
Secretary FOP Lodge #25
RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS O'Malley, Rader, Kepple
June 15, 2020
Steve Fioritto
FOP Western Cuyahoga Lodge 25
26145 Center Ridge Rd.
Westlake, OH 44145
Dear Sergeant Fioritto:
We are in receipt of the letter you sent regarding our involvement in the May 30th and June 2nd demonstrations in Cleveland and Lakewood. We are confounded and disappointed that you would send a letter so full of inaccuracies and demonstrably false allegations. Not a single accusation in your letter is true.
Each of us attended the May 30th protest in downtown Cleveland to show our solidarity and shared outrage at the death of George Floyd, as well as the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, to name a few notable examples of recent injustice. The event was completely peaceful and constructive the entire time we were there. Contrary to your claim, each of us had long-since departed the downtown area and returned home by the time the protests gave way to clashes with police and destruction of property. For you to claim otherwise without evidence is irresponsible. We take offense at your labeling us “so-called leaders” who “added to the chaos” when we did no such thing.
Regarding the June 2nd protests, we want to address your allegation that the Lakewood Police Department and West Shore Enforcement Bureau were unaware of the protesters plan to march to Lakewood City Hall, and that Council member Kepple knowingly withheld this critical information from authorities. This is also demonstrably false. It was common knowledge to the public and to law enforcement that these demonstrators might peacefully march to City Hall and assemble there. This has been confirmed by department leadership and many other officials we have spoken with before and since. To represent otherwise and allege that a council member “put police officers at greater risk” by not sharing information that was already widely known is an appalling accusation.
Once again we express our disappointment that you would send such an incendiary letter so full of accusations that can easily be proven false. We question what you seek to achieve by libeling city council members in this manner and besmirching our efforts to provide leadership and reassurance at this moment of heightened tension in the community.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. O’Malley
City Council President Council member, Ward 4
Tristan Rader
Council member at-Large
Sarah Kepple
Council member at-Large
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