Kristian Williams - Our Enemies in Blue - Police and Power in America

The police also returned to open electioneering-like in the machine days,but with a difference. Rather than owing allegiance to their patrons and takingorders from the ward bosses, the police had developed into a constituency forthe politicians to wow and woo. Police support could make or break a candidate,and once in office the politician owed his allegiance to the cops, rather than theother way around. I I ISome politicians made the most of the new balance of power. Philadelphiapolice commissioner, and later mayor, Frank Rizzo deftly exploited the politicalpotential of the department, building himself a career while at the sametime amplifying the power of the police and increasing their independence.Under Rizzo's guidance. the police department became the unrivaled centerand base of his power. I 12It wasn't long before police unions started producing their own candidates,and served in some places as a ladder into office. In 1969, Wayne Larking,who had served as head of the Police Officer's Guild, was elected to theSeattle City Council. 1 1 3 That same year, Charles Stenvig, a former police detectiveand the business manager of the Minneapolis Police Officer's Federation,was elected mayor, having run solely on a law-and-order platform.lli Stenvigconvinced patrolmen to campaign for him. When an interviewer asked anofficer, "Did you introduce yourself as a patrolman?" the officer responded:"Sure. That was the whole point. 'The idea was to convince people that a copwould know how to bring peace back to the community."l l'At times, such political efforts-especially electioneering-