FOX 2 - Some Civil Rights groups have called for major reforms in the police union movement claiming the unions exist in part to protect their members when brutality allegations are made.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer checked in on the union reform issue as she sat down with FOX2's Tim Skubick on that and other racial injustice issues.
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Gov. Whitmer talks historic statues and police unions
Tim Skubick had the chance to talk with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer about the removal of statues around the country and how unions factor into policing.
Advocates who are pushing for reforms in the police union movement point to the incident in Buffalo where two officers were charged with assault an elderly man. Then 50 officers of the local union resigned en masse and the union president praised the resignations.
Former Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, now county executive, contends the police should not be protecting themselves, but protecting the citizens and they should not remain silent when their colleagues do something allegedly wrong.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the first time checks in possible union reforms.
Skubick: "Would you concede there is a code of silence in the police ranks?"
Whitmer: "I can't speak to that."
Skubick: "You're not going to say that the unions are in need of reform?"
Whitmer: "I'm not going to go there. I think that is overly simplistic."
Skubick: "There are some in the African-American community who say that is right on the money."
Whitmer: "I've heard many people say that is one part of a much bigger conversation and that would be the frame of which we should be looking to address this."
The governor has watched as Confederate statues have been yanked down. Does she favor that?
Whitmer: "I understand why people are unhappy about confederate statues. I agree. They should be in museums and not public places of prominence."
Some local communities have responded to protestors by passing resolutions declaring racism to be a public health threat. Does the governor agree?
Whitmer: "Yeah, I do think that it impacts people's health, there is no question. Being black in America has chronic stress associated with it. and it absolutely creates a crisis among people of color."
In the midst of nationwide protests, the governor does see some hope coming out the NASCAR world for driver Bubba Wallace
"If that can happen in NASCAR, I have a great deal of hope that we are in a position where we're changing and bringing a lot of people forward a conversation that is long overdue," she said.