2019 Autumn Journal : simplebooklet.com

AUTUMN 2018 Vol 2 No 1 President Darrell Basco Preparations for the National Conference 1st Vice President Kelly Gibson Our Duty 2nd Vice President James Folks Legislation to Protect You Treasurer Jim Gallagher FOP Moonlighting Insurance Secretary Dawn Powell FOP FAQ Guard Gary Ferrari Jr Join with Your Local Community Organization Sgt At Arms Susan Hebert Answering the Big Questions Why Should I Join Conductor Charles Guey Post Tramatic Stress Disorder National Trustee Tommie Tizzard LA FOP Supports our Two Favorite Charities Chaplain Pete Menkiewicz Our Mission National Secretary Patrick Yoes But by the Grace of God Governmental Liason Joe Mapes On the Cover Why we Educate Legislators Biennial Conference Remembers the Fallen The Louisina FOP Journal is the official medium of expression for the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police and is published by Public Safety Services LLC Editorial contributions will be handled with reasonable care however the publisher assumes no responsibility for the safety of artwork photographs or manuscripts Copyright 2018 Public Safety Services LLC All rights reserved Find us online at www louisianafop com AUTUMN 2018

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President Darrell Basco Preparations for the National Conference Thanks to President Beasley and the members of John Q Hyde Lodge 5 for the gracious hospitality I know the work that goes into hosting a state conference not by any means an easy task and I know that they are going to live up to expectations for the delegates to have a great conference We have been awarded as many know the 2019 NFOP conference Remember in 2005 there was plenty of work to go around soon we will ask for volunteers If you are interested in helping with a particular event at the conference please send an email to info louisianafop com with your request I ask that local lodge leaders begin to make preparations to send the maximum amount of delegates to this conference It may be the only chance that many members have to attend a national Find us online at www louisianafop com conference why not take advantage of the national conference that you host As the last two years have passed we have made the organization stronger we have given members the access to new benefits and continue to grow those as time progresses We continued work with our legislative liaison that has given us a daily voice in the Legislative process that we have not had in the past This along with a plan of grass roots action and the communication that we have enhanced over the past two years will make us become a more vital part of the process than in previous years Giving stability to our organization to assure that it is here tomorrow for those that are just now entering the profession I feel that the outlook for OUR organization over the next two years should focus on Building a strong financial future for our organization Rejuvenating our foundation activities and the impact we can have on law enforcement related charities such as Easter Seals Torch Run and a host of others Being at the forefront and establishing programs that take care of physical and mental health of our law enforcement brother and sisters Educating our members and the public on issues that are important to the preservation and the future of law enforcement on Louisiana I thank you once again for electing me your president for the next 2 years It is a true honor to serve this great organization AUTUMN 2018

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First Vice President Kelly Gibson Our Duty Thank you to the delegates of the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police conference for Re electing me to serve as your Vice President It is an honor that I truly appreciate and a responsibility that I accept to serve our members The conference memorial service highlighted the sacrifice of our fallen officers and their families It is our duty to continue to honor these officers by taking steps to prevent further tragedies through training and public awareness It is also our duty to provide comfort and assistance to the surviving families Thank you to the Lafayette Lodge and to Chaplain Menkewicz for the memorial service at the conference Find us online at www louisianafop com On the political front this week concluded the senate hearings for the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court The proceedings were hard to watch as it highlighted the political divide of our nation and the lengths people will go to in order to get what they want Of course the vote went along party lines with small deviations The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in our land It is the final opinion of the law which we serve and are subject to I don t appreciate the circus act recently played out in our Senate Locally state legislators advise that the political divide is strong in our state house and senate as well Please know that all of the LAFOP s lobbying efforts are geared towards improving working conditions of law enforcement officers providing for the well being of officers and their families and protecting the citizens which we serve Party politics do not come into play when the LAFOP represents our members in Baton Rouge I ask that you continue to pray for the safety of our law enforcement officers and to pray for our legislators to make wise and honest decisions for the people they serve Thank you for allowing me to serve you AUTUMN 2018

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Second Vice President James Tiger Folks Legislation to Protect You Many thanks to all the delegates at the 32nd biennial conference and the John Q Hyde Lodge 5 for an outstanding attendance I appreciate your re electing me as your second vice president It is with great pride that I continue to serve as your second vice president Over the last two years I have had the privilege of serving as your second vice president a position I am honored to hold As a founding member of the Corbett W Penton Lodge 47 in 2007 and having served in various positions on a local level I was elected to the executive board as chairman of trustees in 2012 After 4 years I was elected as your second vice president in 2016 a position I proudly serve in to help move the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police forward Find us online at www louisianafop com The past two years have brought many challenges in law enforcement to our state and the nation officers are under constant under scrutiny at a level never seen before We all have targets on us every camera and person watches everything we do or say and of course we are always wrong Along with the President Basco and the legislative committee I have worked to protect our members from the often uneducated attacks that are launched on all law enforcement The bills which are filed are often a knee jerk reaction to garner support for other legislation which only works to hamper our jobs The public often confuses our job with the legislature and the legislature is quick to forget they make the laws we only enforce them I will continue to work to protect our members from the often petty and in some cases revengeful laws forced upon us Our strength is in numbers Over the past couple of years I have been fortunate to watch FOP s numbers grow Several new lodges have been added to FOP such as Causeway Lodge 58 In August of 2017 I was privileged to attend the national conference in Nashville possibly the best national conference I have attended that is until the 2019 national conference which will be hosted by Louisiana The 2019 conference will be a large undertaking with hopes larger than the 2005 conference So I am asking every member to prepare to assist any way they can The more people involved the smoother the task will be I hope AUTUMN 2018

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Treasurer Jim Gallagher FOP Moonlighting Insurance Some time back we were contacted by an FOP member who was being sued over an incident that occurred while he was working an off duty security detail at a sporting event Upon being served with notice of the lawsuit and following departmental procedures the member notified his department and his City Attorney s Office In response the member received a letter informing him because he was off duty and in the employ of a non city entity at the time of the incident he would not receive representation by the City Attorney s office and further if he were to be found liable he would not be indemnified by the city In layman s terms You weren t working for us it is not our problem Whether your agency calls it moonlighting or paid details or extra duty LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL FOP active law enforcement members who work off duty security for private entities are urged to look into the Fraternal Order of Police Moonlighting Insurance Plan which offers up to 500 000 00 in liability insurance to pay any judgement or settlement imposed as well as an FOP attorney to represent you during the legal process The FOP Moonlighting Insurance Plan is an optional benefit offered by the FOP Legal Plan s administrator the Hylant Group Coverage costs begin at 193 00 per year for 100 000 00 in protection for individual peace officers performing extra duty jobs increased limits of 250 000 00 and 500 000 00 are available In addition to protecting the officer coverage is extended to the non governmental entity that has contracted the officer s services in many instances that entity may be willing to shoulder the cost of the coverage In today s litigious society it is imperative that law enforcement officers protect their lives their careers their families and their financial future with the FOP s Legal Defense Plan and if that law enforcement officer is working off duty private security details we would urge consideration of the Fraternal Order of Police Moonlighting Insurance Plan For more information and to sign up please visit www foplegal com Click on JOIN NOW and then click on MOONLIGHTING or call 800341 6038 and ask about the FOP Moonlighting Insurance Plan Find us online at www louisianafop com

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Secretary Dawn Powell FOP FAQ Greetings members First of all I would like to thank the membership and the board for their confidence in me and for allowing me to serve two more years as your Secretary As with everything we do I try to make decisions with YOUR best interest in mind The past two years seem to have been years of change As the years go by so do members There has been a constant change in board members on the local level across the state It is important to pass on information within your board so that the incoming officers have an idea of what to do A time of transition is important so that no new member gets lost in the shuffle These are a couple questions that have been answered numerous times so I thought it would be helpful if I post the answers here for you to have as a reference If your lodge board changes you have to fill out a new roster and send Find us online at www louisianafop com it to me mail or email immediately All information on the roster must be accurate Email address are important as this is how we communicate and the Secretary s email is the login for the national database Per Capita Payments can be made in yearly or half year increments 11 50 per year for national and 8 00 per year for state Important to know is the due dates November 1st is the due date for the next year dues which run January 1st through June 30th May 1st is the due date of the second half per capita if you chose to pay in half year increments OR if someone joins in the middle of the year which covers July 1st through December 31st Payments must be separate checks or money orders but mailed to me at the state lodge address of PO Box 1479 Abita Springs La 70420 All adds losses updates must be entered into the national database at the local level Legal defense must be paid separately and the envelope should be addressed to Jim Gallagher On the legislative committee we are watching out for the best interest of our law enforcement officers We are gaining the attention of those at the capitol and are requested at the table for information and guidance This is a great thing for us LEOs Although that seems warm and fuzzy we are not letting our guard down and our liaison team is vigilantly watching what is going on in the House and the Senate Lastly I would like to ask you to speak with your peers and co workers about the FOP and our Legal Defense plan You are our best promoter If you have someone with questions direct them my way Be safe and watch your six AUTUMN 2018

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Guard Gary Ferrari Jr Join with Your Local Community Organization First I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for having the confidence in me to serve on the Louisiana State Fraternal Order of Police Executive Board for another two years For more than ten years I have served on Jambalaya 16 executive board majority of that time as President It has been some great times and some rough ones too I want to send a message to the all local executive board members as well as local general members These days maintaining membership and keeping an active lodge takes a lot of dedication from all It is difficult and rewarding at the same time What has been successful for our lodge is to partner with your community You can force multiply the workforce manpower and empower your members to get involved Find us online at www louisianafop com by joining with other local nonprofit organizations to help fundraise As law enforcement we have sort of allowed today s society to back us in our own corner but it doesn t have to be this way There is so much fun in meeting new people within other organizations and getting a different view of what works for them Many nonprofits have the same goals in mind raise money and give back I challenge each lodge to get out of their comfort zone and join with your local community organizations to lend a hand This will hopefully change some if not all the mundane members I have seen inactive members become involved by merely commingling them with other groups This will in turn help your organization gain some traction within you community and allow for more opportunities A couple of great examples are The 2016 State Conference hosted by Lodge 16 in Gonzales consisted of over fifty percent manpower coming from friends and members of other organization who just wanted to help In addition to the significant amount of donations came from other groups and business who just wanted to help out and be a part of the event Also if you are not watching Thibodaux Lodge 52 you should be This group has taken their lodge to the community and it is paying off big I am obviously inspired by how far they have come with the community relations in just a few short years AUTUMN 2018

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Sgt at Arms Susan Hebert Answering the Big Questions Why Should I Join In speaking with other law enforcement officers have they ever asked the question What Is the Fraternal Order of Police and why should I join Do you have the answer We need to enroll more new members and tell them of all the programs we have to offer Our state website louisianafop com lists so much information to pass on to our members The site lists Legal Defense Plan FOP license plates College Courses and Legislator issues that we often ask you to participate in contacting your state representatives or senators in asking for their support Check the website for many other programs We highly recommend all law enforcement officers get the Legal Defense Plan for their protection The plan pays your attorney directly no out of pocket LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL expense no limit on coverage No law enforcement officer should be without this plan I recently attended our State F O P Conference in August 2018 The conference was held in Lafayette My report for the conference spoke about Post Traumatic Suicides In speaking with members they asked me to repeat some of the information As promised I thought this subject was worth repeating to our Law Enforcement Officers Police officers have one of the highest suicide rates in the nation possibly the highest They have a high divorce rate about second in the nation Researchers use suicide divorce and alcoholism rates as the key indexes of stress in a group of people Clearly police work is stressful It was stated that police work is the most stressful occupation in America even surpassing the formidable stresses of air traffic control If chronic stresses are identified then police officials can take proactive steps They can so something before an officer becomes another suicide statistic The end result is a group of people under the greatest stress in any job in America We are hosting the National F O P Conference in New Orleans next year in August 2019 One of the key tools of growth is communication Equally important are the many friendships that are formed new friends from other states and see all what the Fraternal Order of Police is about In closing thank you for your devoted service and please stay safe Find us online at www louisianafop com

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Conductor Charles Guey Post Tramatic Stress Disorder When we hear the term PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder we generally associate it with members of our military serving in combat but this disorder is not just a military disorder it can affect anyone PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life threatening event like combat a natural disaster a car accident or sexual assault In a normal situation the brain will switch the body from survival mode to a state of restoration but PTSD is when that switch never occurs leaving the survivor in a constant state of emergency PTSD can be so severe that an officer is unable to perform his duties Some of the symptoms associated with PTSD may include disturbing thoughts feelings or dreams related to the events mental or physical distress to trauma related cues attempts Find us online at www louisianafop com to avoid trauma related cues alterations in how a person thinks and feels and an increase in the fight or flight response These symptoms last for more than a month after the event It s normal to have upsetting memories feel on edge or have trouble sleeping after this type of event If it s been longer than a few months and the officer is still having symptoms they may be suffering from PTSD Reliving the event can occur as unwelcomed memories about the trauma can come up at any time Officers can feel very real and scary as if the event is happening again This is called a flashback Officers may also have nightmares Due to the shear nature of our profession without help we are susceptible to this disorder Some of the ways we can help as an organization is to lobby for legislation that would require municipalities parishes and other law enforcement agencies to provide educational training related to mental health awareness prevention mitigation and treatment By providing training and education we will make family members and co workers more aware about the warning signs of PTSD and can encourage treatment to prevent the disorder from rising to the level that it prevents officers from being able to work As law enforcement officers have a duty to educate ourselves to recognize the symptoms of this dangerous disorder and when necessary intervene to help our brothers and sisters in law enforcement who may need our assistance during very difficult times Please take time to learn more about PTSD and how you can help AUTUMN 2018

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Chaplain Pete Menkiewicz Our Mission The Fraternal Order of Police has a Mission You can read it on the reverse sheet of the address labels sent to our members by the grand lodge each year One of the key elements of that mission is to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people we serve I am often reminded of that spirit of fraternalism by the actions of our members by individual lodges and the grand lodge A good example of that spirit was exhibited by Brother John Priola of Crescent City Lodge 2 years ago Brother Priola passed away this past May He wasn t overly active in the lodge but attended meetings regularly and participated in FOP functions However when Brother Joe Kasik had a stroke John showed some of the most un selfish acts I have ever witnessed Find us online at www louisianafop com Brother Priola took on the task of taking care of Joe Kasik He brought him to meetings the doctor market anywhere he needed to be It was sort of like a one man crusade In the spirit of brotherhood John cared for Brother Kasik for the last years of his life Both these men are gone now but I ll always remember the sincere acts of kindness of one member for another More recently another member of Lodge 2 Brother Lee Peyton had some major medical set backs He too lost his mobility had one leg amputated and was in a crisis Enter Brother Danny Denoux of Lodge 100 He saw a member in need and began an earnest and sincere effort to make life easier for Brother Peyton He sort of made Lee a partner in all his activities and adventures They were affectionately known as Tooney and Muldoon Brother Denoux unselfishly took care of Lee until he passed away recently These are just two of the many acts of fraternalism I ve witnessed and I m sure there are many that I have missed Usually these acts of kindness are not done with a fanfare They re done quietly and sincerely and humbly It is dear to me that our members are indeed trying to fulfill our Mission Keep up the good work and keep the faith I will close this article with a quote from our reverent Brother Melvin C Stokes deceased Melvin was long time chaplain of Lodge 12 and served as chaplain of the Louisiana State Lodge Brother Stokes once said all God wants us to do is love one another the way He loves us AUTUMN 2018

Find us on social media

@louisianafop

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National Trustee Tommy Tizzard LA FOP Supports our Two Favorite Charities Easter Seals is the leading non profit provider of services for individuals with autism developmental physical and mental disabilities and other special needs Their services provide benefits children and adults with disabilities whether diagnosed at birth or incurred through disease accidental injury or the aging process as well as their families On the national level the Fraternal Order of Police has been a major partner of Easter Seals for over 35 years and has contributed over 17 million to support their programs As a result of our continued support Find us online at www louisianafop com on the local level the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police was recognized by Louisiana Easter Seals as their New Oleanian organization of the year for 2016 In the year 2017 Louisiana Easter Seals provided services to 9 058 families from many diverse backgrounds and included children and adults with physical and mental disabilities and special needs I look forward to continuing our involvement with this most worthy cause and can assure you that our support is greatly appreciated by the staff and clients that are served Currently past president Pat Yoes and I represent the LAFOP on the Louisiana Easter Seals Board of Directors and I serve as the board secretary On August 20 2016 Joe Labarriere State Guard lost his battle with cancer Joe served as chairman of the LAFOP Special Olympics committee for many years and his involvement is greatly missed To honor the memory of Joe Labarriere the La State Lodge sponsored 2 teams and Kenner Lodge 21 sponsored a team to participate in the Special Olympics SOL Bowl an event that Joe participated in and supported for a number of years AUTUMN 2018

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National Secretary Patrick Yoes But by the Grace of God The last couple months have presented the country with enormous challenges as deadly storms flooding and wildfires left many of our members homeless and their communities in total disarray Yet in this time of uncertainty and at a time when they need it most the FOP and its members have consistently shown their compassion and concern for their fellow officers by pledging financial assistance In the past month alone the Carolinas witnessed devastating storms and flooding Lives have been lost and many more lives are forever changed Yet in the aftermath of these storms one thing is blatantly obvious the magnitude of the destruction makes it impossible to manage it alone The FOP is making great strides in not only helping members get Find us online at www louisianafop com their lives back in order but ensuring the maximum benefit from donations to the FOP Foundation However none of this would be possible were it not for assistance provided by our brothers and sisters nationwide It is so important to give to the FOP Foundation s Disaster Relief Fund FOP members have constantly risen to the occasion most notably during Hurricane Katrina September 11th World Trade Center disaster and many many more Members have always stepped up and provided much needed funds to help our brothers and sisters affected by tragedy And Louisiana members have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from this very fund following our darkest days We need your help again Please send your donations to the National FOP Foundation 701 Marriott Dr Nashville TN 37214 and please keep our affected FOP members as well as all citizens affected by these tragic events in your thoughts and prayers When you see the devastation of these weather disasters on your television screen know this but by the Grace of God it is not your family s misery or your shattered home shown on that screen If it were find comfort that your brothers and sisters in blue will be there for you as well AUTUMN 2018

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Governmental Liason Joe Mapes Why We Educate Legislators After several years of organized participation in the Louisiana governmental political and legislative processes the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police has become a highly influential and respected political organization More than a player the LAFOP is at the forefront of promoting and protecting law enforcement throughout Louisiana politics Politicians now check with the LAFOP before they make a move on an issue that could impact law enforcement at the capitol in Baton Rouge Times were that most politicians only consulted mainly two other law enforcement groups LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL for answers regarding law enforcement issues These days politicians reach out to support the LAFOP first with law enforcement concerns with prolaw enforcement public statements legislation and resolutions and to use LAFOP expertise on issues affecting law enforcement Instead of just sitting back on its heels trying to land a punch at the capitol defending issues like supplemental pay and payroll deduction the LAFOP now sponsors its own pro law enforcement legislation on issues like health insurance for the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and retiree concealed weapon carry In the 2019 election cycle politicians will seek the LAFOP s endorsement to make their campaigns far more appealing to their voters This level of respect for the LAFOP is one of the main goals the LAFOP has sought for years and now it s here So now for The 64 000 question Where do we go from here It s quite simple We keep working on what we ve been building for the past few years as far as reading legislative and political emails from the LAFOP participating Find us online at www louisianafop com

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in LAFOP VoterVoice campaigns and developing and maintaining relationships with state senators and representatives Participation is more important now than ever before as lines are being drawn and sides are being chosen in regard to law enforcement You might think that it s not your responsibility to educate the politicians about law enforcement and you would be wrong If you and your family don t take the time to meet and educate your state representatives and senators about law enforcement then you leave them no option but to learn about law enforcement from the 1 percenters And in case you haven t been paying attention these types are very vocal very active and their issues gain a lot of ground quickly in the media They are the squeaking wheels getting the grease The only way to fight this force is with an equal or greater force What s this look like First you must become and remain active in the LAFOP legislative efforts in order to help promote and protect law enforcement Somebody has to protect the protectors Don t leave that job to anti law enforcement individuals and groups If you still disagree and don t think it s your responsibility consider further possible consequences If you do noth Find us online at www louisianafop com ing to participate in government and politics to help promote and protect law enforcement it is likely that antienforcement individuals and groups will write the laws affecting you This muddies the water even further when it comes to performing your duties as a law enforcement officer If they are left unchecked you ll have to wait until a bullet is two inches from your face before you can legally draw your weapon to return fire in the field Louisiana had a governor one time that said politics is not who you know it s what you know He was wrong He was so very wrong All politics is local Every senator and representative has to drive home through one of your districts every single day and every one of them wants to be able to tell everybody that they are friends with their local law enforcement officers and agencies Thus you have an opportunity to develop your list of who you know This member participation is how the LAFOP will win the big battles at the capitol in the coming years So when you re patrolling your district drop by your state senator or representative s district office to drop off a card and offer yourself as a resource of information in regard to law enforcement issues Then don t be surprised when you get a call later to help them make an important decision in regard to a law enforcement vote So when the LAFOP asks you to get involved and become active with the LAFOP legislative committee and their activities like I m doing right now just do it When you get a voter voice email or any call to action from the LAFOP open it and click the submit button or do whatever else the email asks you to do to participate and help There are other ways to participate like the LAFOP day in the rotunda at the capitol but most importantly you can do this on your own You should do this on your own Go by your legislator s district offices on your next shift Will they ever call you and utilize you as a resource Maybe but there s no guarantee There is however one thing of which we can be 100 assured If we re not there to tell our story people that don t walk talk and think and act like us will be there to re write it for us and that story doesn t end well We want to control the way our own story is written In other words folks we want to be at the table so we re not on the menu AUTUMN 2018

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Legal Counsel By Donovan Livaccari Some people are going to read this article and say I don t need someone to tell me to read something before I sign it If you are one of those people I would say you are wrong At least someone needs to remind you to at least know what it is you are signing In New Orleans an officer who is sustained for an administrative violation must go through two pre disciplinary hearings One is called a predisposition hearing and one is called a pre disciplinary hearing The purpose of the predisposition conference is to make a final determination of the disposition of the investigation The purpose of the predisciplinary hearing is to determine the penalty assuming the final disposition is sustained An officer can waive the predisposition conference but not Find us online at www louisianafop com the pre disciplinary hearing The waiver of the pre disposition conference is specifically what I am writing about today Once the pre disposition hearing is set the officer or the officer s supervisor receives an email containing several attachments One of those attachments is a Notice of Pre Disposition Conference and the other is a Waiver of Pre Disposition Conference Now the officer received a different document listing the sustained charges and purporting to set the dates for a Pre Disposition Conference and a Pre Disciplinary Hearing NOPD Form 308 Of course those dates are not any good So this email containing the waiver and the notice is the second time the officer is notified of a date a different date for a Pre Disposition Conference Now if the officer has been speaking with me throughout the process then I have at least tried to explain the various forms and dates However even with that it can be confusing for the officer who rarely has to deal with the disciplinary process As I mentioned sometimes this email is sent to the officer s supervisor and sometimes it is emailed directly to the officer Either the officer s supervisor prints everything out and leaves it for the officer to sign the appropriate documents with a due date or the email gives a due date directly to the officer to return the signed documents Which documents does the officer sign Well all of them of course This is the reason for this little friendly reminder The waiver that the officer dutifully signed and returned waived the Pre Disposition Conference described above In doing so the officer waived the opportunity to explain why the administrative charges should not be sustained It also propelled the administrative investigation forward to the Pre Disciplinary Hearing for a determination of the penalty This of course is a total surprise to the officer on the date the Pre Disposition Conference was scheduled to have happened had it not been waived You can avoid this confusion Read through everything If you still have questions once you have read through everything pick up the phone and call someone who knows Call me Call one of your lodge officers Call your supervisor Call someone Sometimes important decisions are made when you sign without having a clear understanding of what you are signing Don t get caught wondering why your Pre Disposition Conference isn t going forward AUTUMN 2018

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Benefits of the FOP Legal Plan The FOP Legal Defense Plan provides legal representation to its members for any criminal or civil action resulting from the performance of your duty as a law enforcement officer The FOP Legal Plan also provides representation for any administrative investigation Administrative investigations include disciplinary investigations and any other action which leads to discipline being imposed or the loss of credentials Officers are generally unfamiliar with the disciplinary procedures in their department To make matters worse those who claim to know what is going on usually have as many misconceptions as they do useful knowledge The end result is that common misconceptions are usually passed on from officer to officer The FOP Legal Defense Plan is there to straighten all this out I have a lot of people call and say I hate to bother you with something this stupid Nothing is that stupid Stupid things are stupid because 1 someone did something stupid and there is no explaining it away or 2 someone made an allegation that is so ridiculous that you can t possibly imagine it being sustained In the first case where someone does something stupid made a simple mistake or error and there is nothing that can explain it away there is certainly good reason to call The FOP offers a benefit known as the Salary Reimbursement Option No other organization offers anything like it Here is how it works Salary Reimbursement Option SRO The FOP Legal Defense Plan provides legal representation to its members so that they can defend themselves from accusations that constitute a violation of rules and regulations This representation includes appeals if necessary However sometimes you are accused of something that you did For example maybe it was one of those days and by the time the tenth person has lied to your face you had enough and uttered a string of profanities This string of profanities was recorded LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL on your body worn camera Now you are accused of violating your Department s rule on Courtesy The complaint will likely be sustained Your FOP attorney will argue on your behalf If there is a way out we will explore that If there is no way out then we will argue for the least possible penalty This is when the Salary Reimbursement Option comes into play IF you are represented by an FOP attorney and the penalty involves a suspension you and your FOP attorney will have the opportunity to discuss your options moving forward You probably have an option to appeal However IF you are represented by and FOP attorney your attorney s fees do not exceed 500 AND you and your attorney agree that your chances of success on appeal are slim then the FOP will reimburse you for any suspension days up to 5 days That s right if you get a suspension for something that you did and you are not going to prevail on appeal you can get a check for the amount you would normally earn from the FOP in lieu of appeal In short instead of wasting money appealing a suspension you are not going to win you have the option of cutting your losses and hopefully getting back to even You must be represented by an FOP attorney during the disciplinary investigation to be eligible for the salary reimbursement option You can only be represented by an FOP attorney for a disciplinary investigation if you pick up the phone and call Please note that you can only use the FOP s Salary Reimbursement Options once every 12 months If you aren t calling because the allegation is stupid and there is no possible way it could be sustained you should know that plenty of stupid allegations have led to sustained violations Additionally it keeps your options open for the Salary Reimbursement Options Do they need to notify you of a pending complaint No Your department is not required to Find us online at www louisianafop com

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notify you that you are the subject of a complaint However most departments do notify the accused officers Disciplinary Investigations Your FOP attorney can be with you at all stages of the investigation The Louisiana Police Officer s Bill of Rights ensures that your attorney is able to accompany you to statements hearings or whatever you might have to do in connection with the investigation The Bill of Rights ensures that you are able to consult with your attorney and that your attorney is able to offer you advise or make comments on the record The Louisiana Constitution says that civil service employees can only be disciplined for cause expressed in writing This cause expressed in writing is usually in the form of a disciplinary letter The disciplinary letter usually constitutes the end of a disciplinary Find us online at www louisianafop com investigation Appeals can generally be filed after the disciplinary letter is issued Filing a claim Filing a claim with the FOP Legal Defense Plan is easy The claim form can be completed online at www foplegal com If you already have an FOP attorney to work with check with him or her first before completing the claim form Your attorney may want to complete the form for you so that the language used to describe the investigation is appropriate The FOP Legal Defense Plan is something that the modern law enforcement officer can t do without Make sure that you are a member so that you are covered in the case that you find yourself the accused officer AUTUMN 2018

Thanks to

John Q. Hyde Lodge # 5

for hosting the

32nd Biennial Conference

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Hurricane Florence and the FOP This past month has presented the country with enormous challenges as deadly storms flooding and wildfires left many of our members homeless and their communities in total disarray Yet in this time of uncertainty and at a time when they need it most the FOP and its members have consistently shown their compassion and concern for their fellow officers by pledging financial assistance It is so important to give to the FOP Foundation s Disaster Relief Fund FOP members have constantly risen to the occasion most notably during many Hurricanes tornados flooding and fires Members have always stepped up and provided much needed funds to help our brothers and sis Find us online at www louisianafop com ters affected by tragedy offering hope during their darkest of days We need your help again Please send your donations to the National FOP Foundation 701 Marriott Dr Nashville TN 37214 and please keep our affected FOP members as well as all citizens affected by these tragic events in your thoughts and prayers When you see the devastation of these weather disasters on your television screen know this but by the Grace of God it is not your family s misery or your shattered home shown on that screen If it were find comfort that your brothers and sisters in blue will be there for you as well AUTUMN 2018