Ken Smith, candidate for the District 3 seat on the Chattanooga City Council, announced that he has received the endorsement of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers (Local 673) and the Chattanooga Firefighters Association (Local 820).
“It is truly an honor and quite humbling to receive the endorsement from the men and women who risk their lives every day to make Chattanooga a safer place to live, work and raise a family,” said Mr.
Smith. “Crime and public safety are top concerns of everyone in District 3 and the city of Chattanooga. If elected, I will work to ensure our Police Officers and Firefighters have the necessary tools, resources and support they need to provide safe, secure neighborhoods.”
Tim Tomisek, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 673, said his union "is supporting Ken because we believe he is the best candidate to help District 3 as well as work with other council members and the mayor’s office to ensure Chattanooga becomes a safer city.
“Ken Smith recognizes the amount of gang violence and violent crimes that occur in our city and understands its impact while some of our city leaders continue to take away necessary tools and resources like cars and precincts locations, reduce benefits and threaten our pension fund, delay the funding of academies, and downplay violent crimes. Specifically, we believe Smith will take the Police Department off the backburner and help officers get the tools they need in order to accomplish the job the citizens of Chattanooga trust them to do.”
“Our union believes by strengthening the communities themselves, and the public safety agencies that serve them, Chattanooga will become a safer, more secure place to live, work and play,” said Jack Thompson, president of the Chattanooga Firefighters Association Local 820. “This is why we are committed to endorsing candidates that place a high value on public safety and keeping their citizens safe, and Ken Smith is a right candidate for District 3 because he is a strong proponent of funding the essential services and critical infrastructure needs in District 3 and throughout Chattanooga.”