Kerry: No Death Penalty For Cop-Killers

Kerry: No Death Penalty For Cop-Killers, Kerry's flip-flop on capital punishment no benefit to police officers, says FOP

10/18/2004 12:10:00 PM

To: State Desk

Contact: Tim Richardson of the Fraternal Order of Police, 202-547-8189

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, lamented that none of presidential candidate John Kerry's well-documented flip-flops have improved his positions on issues important to rank-and-file law enforcement officers, citing the application of the death penalty for convicted cop-killers as a prime example.

"After deciding to run for President, John Kerry changed long- held positions on many, many issues," Canterbury said. "While he changes his positions on important issues more than law enforcement officers change shifts, and I am just sorry that his most recent flip-flop does not advance the cause of officer safety by imposing the death penalty on those that murder police officers."

Sen. Kerry is the first major presidential candidate in 15 years to oppose the death penalty. In 1988, Senator Kerry voted against the death penalty for cop-killers and also voted to kill an amendment that would have expanded the death penalty to include some criminals that murder innocent bystanders and police officers during drug-related transactions. At one of the debates during his reelection bid in 1996, Sen. Kerry was asked to explain his opposition to the death penalty to the surviving spouse of a law enforcement officer that was killed in the line of duty. His answer? "I don't like killing. I don't think a state honors life by turning around and sanctioning killing."

"A State honors life by meting out justice to those that violate its laws," said Canterbury. "There are few acts more heinous than murder, and the murder of police officer in particular should be punishable by death. Even Senator Kerry's liberal colleagues from California, Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, support capital punishment for convicted cop- killers."

Prior to running for President, Sen. Kerry even opposed the death penalty for terrorists. He voted against a bill that would have imposed the death penalty for the terrorist murder of United States nationals abroad in 1989. And, in 1996, he described the death penalty as a "terrorist protection policy." But now he claims to support the use of capital punishment against terrorists.

"I can't help but wonder," Canterbury said, "would a Kerry Administration require every death sentence to be subject to some sort of 'global test?'"

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The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforceent labor organization in the United States, with more than 318,000 members.