The director of the Miami-Dade Police Department dropped his membership in the Police Benevolent Association Monday, following what he called the unfair treatment of two of his former officers in a PBA newsletter and a bizarre dispute related to a softball game.
James Loftus announced the termination of his membership in the police union in a memo sent to all county cops Monday, in an effort to "avoid additional rumor."
Loftus, who wrote that he'd been a member of the PBA for 27 years, said he became upset when executive VP Steadman Stahl criticized internal affairs officers Darryl Rassmussen and Robert Trujillo in the newsletter "PBA Heat" during a recent trial involving the two.
"In my opinion, he singled out two quality men for abuse," Loftus wrote in his memo. "My point is this, regardless of the testimony, evidence, or outcome, it is simply wrong to insult two quality men because they were doing their job."
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Loftus' second complaint stems from a mysterious incident at something called the Law Enforcement Olympics.
Additionally, as most of you know, we had an embarassing and unfortunate incident occur with four members of the department at the recent Law enforcement Olympics. As a result, I summoned these four employees to my office in the best interest of the Department," Loftus wrote. "However, PBA staff has offered the opinion that I acted on behalf of a competing softball team, from within our department, by recalling these employees to my office, thereby ensuring victory for the competing team. Really?"
Really indeed. Who knew cops took softball so seriously?
Loftus said he had no reason to stay with the PBA.
"I see no need to continue my membership with an organization that has such little regard for quality employees, present and past, and for me personally," he wrote.
