Councilman Larry Sykes' resignation called for again by new group
International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO now joins four other local public-sector unions
5/28/2014The leader of an international union today joined four local public-sector union locals calling for the resignation of Toledo Councilman Larry Sykes, whose claims of police profiling were ruled unfounded after an internal police investigation.
The International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO asked its “broad-based membership, especially the many Ohio units represented by the I.U.P.A.” to join the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association in demanding Mr. Sykes‘ resignation, Sam Cabral, international president of the union, said in a statement.
Mr. Cabral said he would actively support a recall petition.
Toledo Police Patrolman‘s Association, Toledo Firefighters Local 92, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Ohio Council, and the Toledo Federation of Teachers called on Mr. Sykes to resign from his at-large council seat.
Mr. Sykes, who is black, was pulled over by two white Toledo police officers April 24 and, days later, wrote to police Chief William Moton claiming he’d been profiled. The letter prompted an internal investigation, which found the officers were justified in stopping Mr. Sykes, who did not have a front license plate and had a plastic cover obstructing his rear plate.
Sykes has refused to comment on the unions’ demand that he resign and said he will not discuss the traffic stop again.