The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association officially endorsed Mayor Michelle Wu in her bid for a second term on Thursday, the first time the city’s largest police union has supported a Boston mayor for reelection in more than 30 years, according to the BPPA.
“The mayor has been a continued partner and instrumental in the working conditions, the wages, the collective bargaining agreements, and the everyday business that the men and women of the BPPA and the BPPA EMS division do on a daily basis,” said Larry Calderone, president of the BPPA.
“She cares,” he continued. “She leads by example, she loves her police officers and she shows it. She values what we do every day of the year. ... And I say that as strongly as I possibly can, as we want her to be re elected in November.”
The timing of the endorsement appears strategic for Wu, who is slated to testify before a Congressional committee next week as part of a Republican-led investigation into Boston’s policies related to how and when local police cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
On Wednesday, Republican members of the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released what was effectively an ominous teaser trailer for the March 5 hearing, in which lawmakers claim Wu, along with the mayors of Chicago, Denver, and New York City, will be “held publicly accountable” for their cities' policies.
The video served as a preview for the grilling Wu and the other three mayors are expected to endure by conservative lawmakers, who will likely argue the cities are less safe because of their laws that ban local police from complying with requests from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to detain people based solely on their immigration status.
For months, Wu has countered that narrative by pointing to the city’s record low homicide and crime rates, calling Boston “the safest large city” in the US. And this week alone, Wu again emphasized her administration’s efforts to address a range of public safety concerns.
On Wednesday, Wu and other public safety leaders met with the Downtown Business Alliance to discuss concerns about public drug use and homelessness near Downtown Crossing and Boston Common. She said officials are focused on increasing foot traffic downtown and are investing in resources like new supportive housing units and more substance-use treatment options, as well as increased police patrols and enforcement.
Wu also attended a meeting hosted by the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association to discuss public safety Thursday evening. Although the meeting was shared on the mayor’s public schedule, the Globe and other media were prevented from attending.
After the meeting, Wu answered questions from reporters, calling it a “really powerful and impactful conversation,” about what strategies are and aren’t working to address downtown’s challenges.
After formally accepting the BPPA and the Boston EMS union’s endorsements Thursday, Wu thanked the membership of both unions, and reiterated her commitment to supporting city employees and prioritizing public safety in the city.
“I want to hold up Boston as the example of where we are getting the best bang for our buck: City workers, our first responders, our teachers, our public works employees across the board, these are the people and family members who make our city run,” Wu said.
While she hasn’t formally launched her reelection campaign, Wu has said she is running for a second term in this year’s mayoral election. She is facing a challenge from longtime philanthropist, and son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Josh Kraft.
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.