WASHINGTON 鈥� Several police chiefs around the country were President Trump for suggesting it would be OK for officers to rough up someone who has just been arrested. Most of those statements were also published on departmental social media accounts, including in Annapolis, where the president鈥檚 words 鈥渄o not help build trust between citizens and police.鈥�
But the city鈥檚 mayor disapproved of the police chief鈥檚 statement.
Annapolis Mayor Mike Pantelides met with Baker personally and also emailed all city employees, reminding them not to 鈥減ost anything whether it鈥檚 positive or negative about the president or national politics.鈥�
Pantelides argues that doing otherwise will 鈥渄istract us from our core mission of serving the citizens of Annapolis,鈥� while adding that he is not a fan of 鈥渉aving to read through over 120 comments on Facebook and deal with the blowback from this.鈥�
The mayor later elaborated in a statement to 草莓传媒, saying it鈥檚 鈥渘ot about violating anyone鈥檚 First Amendment rights,鈥� but rather 鈥渁 policy of not bringing politics into our offices.鈥�
Pantelides notes people living in Annapolis carry a wide range of political beliefs and that the city does not 鈥渘eed to support or deny the works of any political party.鈥�
The Facebook post with Baker鈥檚 statement remains on the police department鈥檚 page. The mayor鈥檚 office also reiterated that city employees are free to post any political statements they want to on their own time and using their own personal social media accounts.
Below is the Annapolis Police Department’s Facebook post:
