Police union president on Trump’s El Paso comments: ‘It was a slap in the face’

El Paso law enforcement officers are contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that El Paso was unsafe before the border barrier was built.

The president of the local police officers union told ABC-7 the barrier had nothing to do with making El Paso one of the safest cities in the nation.

“Well, I was watching last night and I was kind of, I guess the best word is dumbfounded, by his comments,” said Ron Martin, president of of the El Paso Police Officers Association.

Martin heads up the police officers union, made up of more than a thousand El Paso police officers. Martin has been in law enforcement for 29 years, long before a fence or barrier was erected along the Rio Grande.

The union boss acknowledged there was crime in El Paso committed by people crossing illegally into the U.S.

“Were there criminals intertwined with the people coming across? Yes. When ‘Operation Hold The Line’ started, it decreased some of our petty crimes, you know, thefts, burglaries, people breaking into things and taking stuff,” said Martin, who added El Paso was never the most dangerous city to live in.

The union leader says officers officers are insulted and believe Trump’s statements gave the perception El Paso is now safe because of the border barrier.

“More of a slap on the face, that 30 years of my career has been for nothing, because if it wasn’t for the wall, we’d still be some lawless community where people are coming across raping and pillaging the United States,” Martin said.

What would he would say to Trump if given the opportunity when the president visits El Paso February 11th?

“I wanna ask him: what are you thinking? Don’t live somewhere else in the United States and tell me, who’s lived here my entire life, what I need on the border,” said Martin.