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BALTIMORE CITY LODGE No.3
3920 BUENA VISTA AVENUE
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21211
Phone: (410) 243-9141
-  .. Fax: (410) 467-1643 -- 
GENE 8. RYAN Twitter: @Fops LISA M. RIHA
President Secretary

   

AN OPEN LETTER
October 17, 2018

Mr. Lorne Michaels
Saturday Night Live
NBC Floors 8 - 9

GE Building

30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Dear Mr. Michaels:

I am writing this letter on behalf of the 4,300 members of the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of
Police, Lodge both active and retired, to express great disappointment over the distorted
representation of Baltimore Police Of?cers on your recent show, which aired on October 13,
2018. The segment in question is entitled ?Traf?c Stop? and included several members of your
cast, including the shows? host, Seth Myers.

We believe that humor, and the laughter that results, is necessary in all of our lives and we know
that the iconic Saturday Night Live has long been a source of that requirement. We must,
however, take exception with the grossly inapt portrayal of our members during this particular
sketch. As you are most likely aware, the Baltimore Police Department is currently a very
beleaguered agency in the throes of massive amounts of criticism and disrespect. Many of our
members, especially our young ones, are struggling with their choice of career and we are losing
good and credible members daily. It is a difficult time in Baltimore and to portray our brave,
hard-working members with such an inappropriate manner is very unfortunate.

The Baltimore Police patches that were attached to the shirts of your cast are worn by each and
every member of our agency during their careers. They are worn with extreme pride because, to
us, they represent the best that law enforcement has to offer. They are worn by the men and
women who run toward the sound of gun ?re, while others run away. They are worn by the men
and women who save lives and, in over 100 cases in our agency?s history, were worn by men and
women who sacri?ced their own lives for the safety of others. In fact, it could be said that
almost all of our members who were killed in the line of duty, died while wearing those patches.

Again, we appreciate the fact that Saturday Night Live has long provided our nation with the
opportunity to laugh, oftentimes at ourselves. Having said that, however, we feel very strongly
that the comedy that was attempted in the ?Traf?c Stop? segment fell short of being humorous

REPRESENTING THE PROFESSIONAL POLICE OFFICERS OF BALTIMORE 

and felt, instead, like a sharp jab at a group of people who have dedicated their lives to serving
others. Some may think it funny, and clearly you and your cast and crew do as well. We, on the
other hand, believe that humor at the expense of our brave membership is not humor at all.

Sincerely,

4%sz

Lt. Gene S. Ryan
President