Before Mayor Thomas Menino has even announced his intentions to run for mayor or not, challenger Michael Flaherty, a City Councillor, has received the endorsement from the top echelons of the Boston Police Department.

The Boston Police Superior Officers Federation (BPSOF), a union of over 200 high-ranking Boston Police officers, has endorsed Flaherty for mayor, specifically rejecting the idea of Menino adding to his 16 years in office. Though it was one of the first unions to accept Menino’s wage freeze, its president, Joe Gillespie, criticizes Menino’s fiscal management, and his move toward layoffs in several city departments in an endorsement letter. He also takes the mayor to task for not listening.

“The daily micromanagement and politicization of the department negatively affects our ability to effectively police and protect our city,” wrote Gillespie. “Our district captains are merely spoken to rather than being listened to as the most knowledgeable and professional leaders in our department.”

The letter also, as would be expected, praises Flaherty.

“As a former Assistant District Attorney under Ralph Martin, Michael Flaherty is committed to public safety and working collectively with the BPSOF on the best practices to diminish crime in Boston,” wrote Gillespie. “Flaherty has pledged to professionalize the Police Department, to work in partnership with us to develop a strategic plan, both citywide and neighborhood by neighborhood.”