Boston police patrolman's union president acknowledges they're a "paramilitary organization."

Boston Police Superintendent in Chief Daniel Linskey has instructed district commanders to leave only a bare-bones crew behind to field 911 calls, while telling other police personnel to leave work early, to stuff the seats for Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis’ state-of-the-force speech today in Dorchester.

“We are trying to maximize exposure to the department personnel. I need you to look at how you can send the maximum on duty personnel from your shops,” Linskey wrote in a March 10 email to police supervisors when the speech was originally set for March 29.
“Leaving a Skelton crew behind to run an office or unit should be the goal,” the email states.
The Boston police patrolmen’s union President Thomas Nee said, “In a paramilitary organization, it’s the functional equivalent of an order.”
Linskey countered that his message — which he said still stands, though the meeting was pushed back to today — is not an order.
“I haven’t said to anyone that you are ordered to go on an event,” he said. “I’m leaving that up to the unit commanders. They should know which staff to free up and which ones they need to still function.”http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20220503a_show_of_force_sought_for_speech_email_urges_maximum_attendance/