Fraternal Order of Police

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The Fraternal Order of Police is a US-based organization of sworn law enforcement officers. It is the world's largest organization of rank and file sworn officers, with over 2100 local lodges and over 325,000 members[citation needed]. The FOP calls itself “the voice of [the U.S.'] law enforcement officers.”[citation needed] The FOP is committed[clarify] to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those they serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation.

The Fraternal Order of Police is a full service labor organization, providing a wide variety of services. It lobbies Congress and regulatory bodies on behalf of law enforcement officers, provides labor representation, promotes legal defense for officers, and offers resources such as legal research and publicizes the activities and issues of the local lodges. It also sponsors charities such as Easter Seals, Special Olympics, memorials for fallen officers, and support programs for spouses and family members of police officers. The organization has offices in Nashville, Tennessee, Columbus, Ohio and Washington, DC. As a member governed organization, the members determine how their needs are to be met and what services are provided by their Local and State FOP Lodges, with support from the National FOP.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] History

The Fraternal Order of Police was founded in 1915 by two Pittsburgh patrol officers with the Pittsburgh Police[citation needed]. Martin Toole, Delbert Nagle, and 21 others "who were willing to take a chance" met on May 14, 1915, and held the first meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police. They formed Fort Pitt Lodge #1. The name was selected due to the anti-union sentiment of the time[citation needed], but the intent was to advocate for Police Officers as a labor union would. As they told their city mayor, Joe Armstrong, the FOP would be the means "to bring our grievances before the Mayor or Council and have many things adjusted that we are unable to present in any other way...we could get many things through our legislature that our Council will not, or cannot give us."[citation needed]

[edit] Danny Faulkner

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In a controversial June 1982 court case, Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner. The FOP demanded justice for Faulkner, including a nationwide boycott against businesses and individuals that continued to support Abu-Jamal, and condemning the plan of the French city of St-Denis to name a street in honor of Abu-Jamal.

[edit] The FOP Star

The emblem adopted by the Fraternal Order of Police is designed to remind the membership of the duties that are expected of them as a citizen, a police officer and a member of the lodge. The five-cornered star is to remind them of the allegiance they owe to the US flag and is a symbol of the authority with which they are entrusted. Midway between the points and center of the star is a blue field representative of the thin blue line protecting those served by law enforcement. The points are of gold, which indicates the position under which officers are now serving. The background is white, the unstained color representing the purity with which they should serve. They shall not let anything corrupt be injected into the order. Therefore, the FOP colors are blue, gold, and white.

The open eye represents the eye of vigilance ever looking for danger and protecting all those under its care while they sleep or while awake. The clasped hands denote friendship. The hand of friendship is always extended to those in need of comfort.

The circle surrounding the star midway indicates the members' never ending efforts to promote the welfare and advancement of this order. Within the half circle over the centerpiece is the motto, "Jus Fidus Libertatum" which translated means "Law Is a Safeguard of Freedom."

[edit] Membership

FOP membership is open to regularly appointed or elected and full-time employed law enforcement officers of the United States, any state or political subdivision thereof, or any agency[citation needed]. Family members of a Fraternal Order of Police member may join the FOP Auxiliary. Supporters of law enforcement may join the FOP Associates.

[edit] Mission statement

“ To support and defend the Constitution of the United States; to inculcate loyalty and allegiance to the United States of America; to promote and foster the enforcement of law and order; to improve the individual and collective proficiency of our members in the performance of their duties; to encourage fraternal, educational, charitable and social activities among law enforcement officers; to advocate and strive for uniform application of the civil service merit system for appointment and promotion; to support the improvement of the standard of living and working conditions of the law enforcement profession through every legal and ethical means available; to create and maintain tradition of esprit de corps insuring fidelity to duty under all conditions and circumstances; to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people we serve; to increase the efficiency of the law enforcement profession and thus more firmly to establish the confidence of the public in the service dedicated to the protection of life and property. ”

[citation needed]

[edit] Collective bargaining and labor services

In addition to representing the needs of officers to their employer, the formation of the first FOP lodges allowed officers to socialize with their fellow officers outside of their stressful work environment. In many areas the lodge building served as a private club with little difference from such organizations as the Freemasons[citation needed].

As more jurisdictions began to recognize police officers’ collective bargaining rights, the social orientation of the FOP diminished[citation needed]. In many jurisdictions, officers voted for the FOP to be recognized as their collective bargaining agent, making the lodge the local union within that jurisdiction. This focused priorities on labor concerns such as benefits, pay, and fair and equal representation, in addition to social and fraternal concerns.

Some critics have argued that the FOP is ill-suited to serve in such a capacity as it has traditionally been open to all ranks of sworn police officers, while labor unions typically are not open to members of management. It is also argued that collective bargaining is too far removed from the original purpose of the organization. For these reasons, in some jurisdictions the FOP has been challenged[citation needed] as a collective bargaining agent. The FOP traditionally fights vigorously any effort to remove it as a collective bargaining agent in jurisdictions in which it has been certified as such.

[edit] Legislative services

The FOP maintains the Steve Young Law Enforcement Legislative Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill. A full-time professional staff actively lobbies Congress and the Administration on the issues most important to rank-and-file law enforcement officers. The FOP has successfully helped assure the passage of important legislation such as the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act (H.R. 218), the Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act (H.R. 1073), and the HELPS Retirees Act. Current priorities of also include the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 206), the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 (H.R. 980), and the State and Local Law Enforcement Officers' Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act (H.R. 688/S. 449)[citation needed].

[edit] National Police Week

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On May 15, 1982 the FOP held the first ever National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Washington DC. The FOP has sponsored and hosted this service on May 15 of each year thereafter. This service is now part of an entire week of activities dedicated to honoring America’s fallen law enforcement officers. During National Police Week, thousands of law enforcement officers gather at memorial services across the country to honor their fallen colleagues. More than 25,000 officers, as well as the surviving family members and friends of slain officers, travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the FOP’s National Peace Officers' Memorial Service, which is one of the largest and most prominent memorial service held on behalf of fallen law enforcement officers in the U.S.[citation needed]

[edit] The National FOP Foundation

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The National FOP Foundation's stated mission is to fund programs specifically designed to honor America's law enforcement officers, foster community involvement, and aid the families of those who have died in the line of duty. Each year, individuals and companies around the world join in partnership with the FOP by contributing to the Foundation.

[edit] Criticism

Human rights group Amnesty International has criticized the Fraternal Order of Police in Philadelphia for their vocal support of the death penalty in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. [1]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called the FOP a "fringe organization" for opposing his efforts to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engAMR510012000 (1)
  2. ^ N.Y. Triggers Gun Stings Nationwide, The New York Post, May 10, 2007 By: David Seifman http://www.nypost.com/seven/05102007/news/regionalnews/n_y__triggers_gun_stings_nationwide_regionalnews_david_seifman_____city_hall_bureau_chief.htm

[edit] External links

This article incorporates material from official literature of the Fraternal Order of Police with their permission.

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