2023 Spring Journal : simplebooklet.com

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SPRING 2023 • 1 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comThe Louisina FOP Journal is the official medium of expression for the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police and is published by Callan Publishing, Inc. Editorial contributions will be handled with reasonable care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for the safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Copyright © 2023. Callan Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.On the CoverOn the CoverPresident Darrell BascoTaking on new challengesNational Trustee Kelly GibsonThank you for your service1st Vice President James FolksBack to normal 2nd Vice President Dawn PowellA safe and successful spring season Secretary Ronald LabarriereThe importance of having legal defenseConductor Willie Jenkins Why are we like this?Chaplain Pete MenkiewiczChaplain’s cornerNational President Patrick YoesNew Congress, new strategy to repeal WEP/GPOLegal Counsel Donovan LivaccariThe importance of data protectionGovernmental Liaison Joe MapesThe 800-pound gorilla in the room Treasurer Jim GallagherLocal Lodges Can Utilize LAFOP FoundationLouisiana State Guard ReportThe importance of the “buddy check”Sergeant-at-Arms Susan HebertWhy join the FOP? Chairman of Trustees Renee KinlerA smooth transition into retirementSPRING 2023 Vol. 6, No. 1The Louisiana State Capitol Building.337755991010131315151717181823232222212125251919

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SPRING 2023 • 3 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comPresidentPresidentDarrell BascoA new year is upon us and the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police accepts the challenges in the future. I would like to thank the delegates at the State Conference for having the condence in me and the Executive Board to reelect us again to serve the membership. Right around the corner is the 2023 Legislative session and we have already worked with legislators on issues that are important to Louisiana law enforce-ment. Stay tuned for the Louisiana FOP’s Legislative Guide, the only compre-hensive rank and le legislative guide on the session. We are moving forward with expan-sion. We have chartered 2 new lodges in the recent year, Walker Lodge #61 and Atchafalaya Lodge # 62. With another new lodge on the hori-zon about two weeks away from ocial charter. Remember that you are our greatest recruiter. Encourage non-members in your agency and surrounding agencies to join your lodge or charter a new lodge in Louisiana. As always, if you don’t have a home lodge you are welcome in Pelican Lodge #100. The National Conference is around the corner in mid-August in Las Vegas. Please make plans now to attend and send delegates to vote. Our own National President Patrick Yoes is running for reelection this sum-mer and everyone’s vote counts. This year we will increase our mental health and wellness programs in Loui-siana, excel as always in the legislative needs of our members, and oer them protection from our National Legal Defense. These along with many others makes the Fraternal Order of Police the Nation’s best and largest LEO organization.Taking On New ChallengesTaking On New ChallengesThe 2023 Louisiana FOP Legislative Guide will be available for members soon.

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SPRING 2023 • 5 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comNational TrusteeNational TrusteeKelly GibsonThank you for your service to our communities and thank you for your service to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The National FOP continues to work for the betterment of the law enforcement profession and the benet of our members. It’s an honor to serve as your national trustee. I’m committed to serving the members of the Louisiana lodge in this capacity. During 2022 Congressional session, great eort was made in trying to pass the Social Security Fairness act (HB 82). HB 82 would correct the penalties borne by workers with government pensions, brought about by the Govern-ment Pension Oset and the Windfall Eliminations Provision laws passed in previous congresses. GPO and WEP penalize government pensioners by reducing the amount of social security benefits payable to these pensioners and their spouses. Even if a worker completed the required quarters needed to receive social security benets, these benets are reduced because you receive a separate government pension.Three hundred and ve members of the House of Representatives signed on as cosponsors to HB 82 which allows the congress to bring a bill to a oor vote without the necessity of a bill passing through committee. Except the House Ways and Means committee decided to give HB82 a hearing once the required number of cosponsors were obtained to grant a oor vote. HB 82 was not heard in committee before the end of the 117th congress. Where does that leave us in our eort to repeal the unfair GPO and WEP? Not quite at square one since a broad base of cosponsors was obtained in the previous congress. I am hopeful that these same cosponsors will be on board for the 118th Congress. The National FOP has a broad-based media strategy to educate and inform our members and the public on issues relevant to law enforcement and public safety. The FOP continues to be the leader in media mentions among all law en-forcement organizations in the U.S. It’s clear that when the media wants to hear the voice of law enforcement they turn to the FOP. National President Pat Yoes and Vice-President Joe Gamaldi are fixtures on national networks in regards to law enforcement issues. You can also visit Facebook, Ins-tagram, Twitter and YouTube for the latest FOP news and information. This year will be an important one in Louisiana politics. In 2023 we elect a new governor and attorney general. These two oces are the most im-portant for law enforcement in regards to policy which aect law enforcement and which bills are signed into law. We as a state lodge must get involved in the election process via endorsements and a rm stand on issues which aect law enforcement. I expect that the state lodge will again hold an endorsement process to address these elections. Please be involved. For the past several years the LAFOP legislative committee, on which I serve, has fought hard to ght legislation that would negatively aect law enforcement namely, the abolishment of qualied immunity. As we watch the events unfold in Memphis, Tennessee, where protests are ongoing in regards to the death of a person at the hands of law enforce-ment, I must comment that qualied immunity is not given to ocers that act outside the scope of their duties and illegally. Eorts will be renewed this year to abolish qualied immunity and the LAFOP will continue to ght to preserve the rights of our members. In 2022 331 law enforcement of-cers were shot in the line of duty in the United States, and 62 ocers were killed by gunshots. Of these attacks on our law enforce-ment ocers 89 of these events were premeditated ambushes. The war on law enforcement ocers is a real and terrible threat. I pray for the safety of all our law enforcement ocers and their families. The 68th Biennial National FOP Conference and Expo is August 14-17. I will again be a candidate to serve as your national trustee. I humbly ask for your support. I have spent this past term on the national board of trustees serving the Louisiana lodge to the best of my abilities. Thank you for your service to law enforcement and to our communities. As always I am available for any concerns or questions you may have. I can be contacted via cell phone at (337) 207-0242 or email at [email protected] You For Your ServiceThank You For Your Service

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SPRING 2023 • 7 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comSisters and Brothers,Welcome to the new year. I pray this year serves everyone better than the past few - we are all overdue for life to get back to normal. First, I would like to thank the Bossier City Lodge #39 for their outstanding work hosting the 34th Biennial Confer-ence. From the rst day, I heard nothing but praise for how registration was handled. In fact, the entire weekend was a tremendous success. Many thanks to President Chris Davis and the Lodge #39 members. If you have ever hosted a conference, you are aware of logistics and personnel needed to make it happen. The entire lodge worked diligently for a successful conference. Secondly, I am once again truly humbled at the faith the members have put in me to be their 1st Vice-President. I look forward to working for you and continuing the mission of the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police. The new year will, of course, bring new challenges for the FOP. Your Leg-islative Committee has already started meeting to prepare for the upcoming session, which will convene on April 19. We know that there will be legislation brought that may aect law enforce-ment negatively, but rest assured that your committee members are in contact daily with The Mapes Firm. As well, President Basco and I will be in session on days when hearings that aect FOP are happening, fully prepared to rally for all members. Once again we will be utilizing the Voter Voice system to make sure that all members have an opportunity to give their opinions. Please know that your greatest asset is our membership. I ask every member to promote our organization, and as I have said before, it is the best way to expand the Louisiana FOP. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement union in the country and Louisiana. As you know, we represent all law enforcement. We will continuously work for the betterment of the organization, and be a voice for the rank-and-le ocers. Fraternally,James “Tiger” FolksBack to NormalBack to NormalFirstFirstViceVice PresidentPresidentJames “Tiger” Folks

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SPRING 2023 • 9 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comSecond Vice PresidentSecond Vice PresidentDawn PowellWelcome to 2023! Being your 2nd Vice President and Legislative Committee Chair has been exciting as always. We have come so far in our ght in being heard and represented in our legislative circles. Our goal is to keep moving forward and be ready to address any potential issues that may arise in this legislative session. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. We are now moving into Mardi Gras season which is very busy around my area. There is something unique about our area during this time of year. Law enforcement is tested to the max during this time of year with the increase of tourist in our areas. In looking at our membership numbers and concentration areas, we have a lot of work to do. While we try our best to talk to as many areas as possible, the best recommendation is word of mouth. I would like to implore all of our members to talk to their constituents about the FOP and the benets of join-ing. If you have someone who would like to join or form a lodge, please have them reach out to someone on the board. Lodge 100 is always available for someone to join to start receiving the benets of being a member. But if we can establish a lodge in an area to give them somewhere to promote fraternalism of the members, people are more likely to take an active role in the organization. Hope everyone has a safe and fun Mardi Gras! Stay safe!Dawn PowellA Safe and Successful A Safe and Successful Spring SeasonSpring Season(337) 534-07741919 Kaliste Saloon Road Suite 301 ♦ Lafayetteagavelafayette.com(985) 445-14501100 Robert BoulevardSlidell(225) 769-46667562 Bluebonnet BlvdBaton Rouge

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10 • LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL Find us online at www.louisianafop.comSecretarySecretaryRonald LabarriereHello Brothers and Sisters,Now that 2023 is upon us I hope eve-ryone, and their families are doing well. Back in August 2022 at the State Conference in Bossier City, it was my honor to be sworn in as your Louisiana State Lodge Secretary. I would like to give you a little of my background. I am a 32 ½ year retired veteran of the Kenner Police Department outside of New Orleans. I joined FOP Kenner Lodge #21 my rst year as a rookie ocer. Since that time, I served my local lodge as Trus-tee, Vice President and twice elected as President. In the beginning of my career, I had no idea how much joy being a member of law enforcement would bring me. But most important, how it would introduce me to a brotherhood and sisterhood of so many great people. I ask that if you are currently a member of your local lodge and attend meetings every now and then, that you try to get more involved and learn what your Local, State and National lodge has to oer. There are over 364,000 members in this organization that are here to stand along side of you in good times and bad. We are Brothers and Sisters helping each other. In Louisiana we have 36 local lodges with over 5,500 members, which is great. But we can do much better on educating those who are not currently members, of what the FOP has to oer. The most important benefit of being a member of the FOP is Legal Defense. With all the dangers involved in law enforcement today, you would hate to see a fellow officer working the streets without the proper equip-ment or body armor protection. But we allow them to do so every day, when we allow brothers and sis-ters on the job without Legal Defense Protection. Louisiana has more than 200 Police Departments, Sheri’s Oces, Univer-sities and State Agencies, which has over 18,000 Law Enforcement oc-ers. That means we have over 12,000 Law Enforcement ocers in Louisiana working that are not members of the FOP and are unprotected. There are also over 2,600 of our current members that do not have Le-gal Defense. With the negativity we see towards Law Enforcement every day throughout this country, no ocer should be working today without a Legal Plan. In the past few years, we have seen so many ocers wrongfully accused of wrongdoing who had to ght to clear their name, keep their job and protect their hard earnings. I ask that if you know of fellow ocers that are not members of the FOP, reach out to them and get them involved. If they are with an agency large enough to start their own local lodge, have them contact the State Lodge. If they are with one of those 2, 3 or 5 member agencies, tell them about Louisiana Pelican Lodge 100, which is available for them to join individually. Tell them to go to louisianafop.com for more information. We also must work on making sure that our current members do have LEGAL DEFENSE. For more informa-tion on Legal Defense they can go to www.foplegal.com.Stay Safe.The Importance of The Importance of Having Legal DefenseHaving Legal DefensePrestige La Casa Del AutosSales: (225) 636-558911672 Florida BoulevardBaton Rougeprestigecasadelauto.com

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12 • LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL Find us online at www.louisianafop.comAmigoAmigoMarketMarket504-906-2579504-906-2579400 Wright Ave400 Wright AveGretnaGretna17316 Airline HighwaySuite A ♦ Prairieville(225) 677-8600Alpha Automotive & DieselAlpha Automotive & Diesel(318) 372-1858(318) 372-1858400 North 21st Street400 North 21st StreetMonroeMonroe(504) 471-61003617 Williams BlvdKennerBlue StarBlue Star Convenience StoreConvenience Store(504) 467-3844(504) 467-38442023 Williams Blvd2023 Williams BlvdKennerKennerHOTTEST Restaurant in Town225.388.59611072 West Lee Dr, Baton Rougecalientemexicancraving.comAcadian Custom Millworks(225) 622-633715507 Hwy 44, Suite E ♦ GonzalesFuelTrac(318) 412-61141193 Highway 15Baskin11693 Nicholson Drive225-766-7199Baton RougeGo Tiger MartEl JimadorEl JimadorMexican GrillMexican Grill985-662-3461265 S Morrison BlvdHammond

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SPRING 2023 • 13 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comConductorConductorWillie JenkinsIt has been said the men and women who wear badges are a dierent breed from the rest of society. I beg the ques-tion, “Why are we like this”? We get dressed everyday to go to a job which we may not return home from, but we do it time and time again. Most people will never know the stressors or the challenges we face daily and to be honest, I don’t know if they would be able to handle them. We have made choices to do things most people look at and say we’re crazy. We have something in us few are born with. There are many people who embark on this journey, but only few remain. Think about your academy class, how many of you are there left. Most people who embark on this journey believe in what they want to do, but it’s not just about believing in it, but believing in yourself and that you have what it takes to do it. Below is a link to an article pub-lished by Goodwin University entitled Key Qualifications and Qualities of a Police Officer:https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/po-lice-ocer-qualities-and-qualications/After reading the article, I realized all of the qualities they listed under the subtitle, “What are the Most Valued Qualities of a Police Ocer” were true, but I focused on two which I believe are the most important. 1. Sound Judgement and Problem SolvingPolice ocers must always be able to work under pressure, to maintain composure, and to have sound judge-ment and decision-making skills during times of need. They must be able to reason, to weigh the consequences, and to consider alternatives, before deciding on the most logical course of action. Without sound judgment, rationalization, and composure, situations can escalate and cost lives.2. Devotion to the CommunityPolice ocers must care about their communities, but also understand the issues and concerns that exist within it. This goes beyond basic law enforce-ment. Police ocers must have insight into their community’s challenges. They must also establish a trusting partner-ship with community members. Those two qualities epitomize why we are like this, well those of us who employ those values. When we practice sound judgement while solving problems, we tend to get things right. Even if we get it wrong, people will know it was a mistake and not a malicious travesty of justice. When we have devotion to the community, members of the community will have a tendency to look to you for help and answers not only for criminal matters, but also for basic life issues. They will want us to be a part of decisions which will aect the com-munity for years to come. We have the ability to aect so many lives, but are we going to do it in a way that people will respect us for it or just want to see us go away? It is in those times when we have to ask ourselves, Why are we like this? If those core values begin guiding you and you still see the good you are doing, you can answer that question in your own way to the many people who will ask you why you are like you are. Give the answer which you give yourself each day which drives you to continue to wear the badge. Give them the answer you give your family when you’re asked why you have to miss another important life event. Give them the answer you give the members of your church when you tell them you can’t make Sunday service. I don’t know what your answer is, but for me, it is I was called by God and no man or woman on earth can take that calling away from me. I feel like I did 18 years ago when I took my oath of oce, I still want to help everyone today as much as I did then.Be Blessed.Willie Jenkins IIIConductor, Louisiana State FOP Why Are We Like This?Why Are We Like This?

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SPRING 2023 • 15 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comChaplain/AdvisorChaplain/AdvisorPete MenkiewiczWalter Powers, Jr.CHAPLAIN’S CORNERCHAPLAIN’S CORNERwill be called the children of God. In our line of work we must enforce laws, but we must always to remember to show compassion even to those who do wrong. We are the peacekeepers and as such we are children of God as we keep his peace. I ask the Lord to watch over each of you as we move forward this year and may his blessing be on you each and every day.May GOD bless you … keep the faith. Chaplain: Pete MenkiewiczChaplain Advisor: Walter Powers, JrAs the years pass we enter new and unknown territory; we exited the year 2019 and entered with a unknown enemy in a little tiny germ call COVID so small that it did what no human being could. This COVID-19 (as called) shut down nations stopped the economy from moving forward. It made the unthinkable happen. People stop going out in public working from home became the norm along with home schooling that had been just for a select few before the small micro-organism attacked the world. Millions were sick and many died, yet there was one thing that prevailed.More of us began to look skyward, knowing that only the Lord could see us through this horric time. The Lord saw t that more men and women when they began to return fully to in oce work and were no longer hiding behind those many dierent masks, now had faces that we all wanted to see. A smile that was so missed a simple hand shake or hug that was just a few short months ago forbid-den. Our places of worship began lling the seats once again as the congregation swelled and lled the house of worship. What once was taken for granted now feels special. Something as simple as sitting in the same pew that you sat in before everything came to a complete halt, sitting closer than six feet, thank God that rule went away. The one thing through all of this we continued to work for the betterment of our communities and our members. When there was a storm we were there to take care of our members as they left the safety of their homes to take care of those they did not know. I found that if we remember those who paved the way for us to succeed as the great organization, it would not have happened if they did not believe the Lord was directing their way. As our nation was found with prayer, so was this great organiza-tion. It brings to mind the Beatitudes that demonstrate conclusively how God, in choosing the weak of the world, “shames the strong.” Therefore with great certainty and conviction we, “the humble of the earth”, from stance of our utter nothingness “seek the Lord”Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercyBlessed are the peacemakers, for they

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SPRING 2023 • 17 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comNationalNationalPresidentPresidentPatrick YoesI think all of us here today know just how close we came to forcing H.R. 82, the “Social Security Fairness Act,” to a vote of the oor of the U.S. House of Representatives. We had more than 300 co-sponsors and met all the other requirements of the House rule. It should have hap-pened and I am still angry today that we did not get the opportunity to have a recorded vote on this vital issue. The truth is that House leadership and then the leaders of the Commit-tee on Ways and Means took steps to ensure that we would not get this vote. It was a bipartisan betrayal of sorts and incredibly disappointing. I want to thank former Representa-tive Rodney Davis of Illinois and Representative Abigail Spanberger for their leadership and incredibly hard work last Congress. They were the lynchpin of our success last year. Representative Garrett Graves, my representative, was a key supporter and leader on this last Congress, and I am proud to say that he is now leading our eort along with Representative Spanberger. The bill has been re-introduced and we have kept the same bill number, H.R. 82. The legislation already has more than 100 co-sponsors. As you know, the legislation would repeal both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Oset (GPO) in current Social Security law. Law enforcement officers and other public employees who file for the Social Security benefit they paid for often find themselves facing a significant reduction of that benefit because of the WEP. Many retired law enforcement of-cers, especially those whose work history includes a mix of jobs inside and outside the Social Security system, are hit particularly hard. This is a loss of benets to which they are unequivocally entitled, not an adjustment for a “windfall.” And the Government Pension Oset (GPO) was adopted to shore up the nances of the Social Security trust fund. It offsets the Social Security benefit to which a surviving spouse is entitled by two-thirds of the monthly amount of any government pension that they might receive. It is estimated that, 90 percent of the time, this so-called “oset” completely eliminates the spousal benet, even though the covered spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years, thereby earning the right to these benets. For us, this is an issue of fairness. No one on Capitol Hill believes this is fair—even those who don’t support the legislation. We need to end this unfairness against retired public employees.New Congress, New Strategy New Congress, New Strategy to Repeal WEP/GPOto Repeal WEP/GPO

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18 • LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL Find us online at www.louisianafop.comBy Donovan LivaccariIn 1994, Je Bezos founded an Internet company that would eventually grow into one of the largest online stores,Amazon In 2002, Amazon started Amazon Web Services (AWS), which proved to be the growth motivator that Amazon needed. AWS provided platforms for apps, cloud storage, email facilitation, and other services oered to consumers. It also proved people didn’t understand the privacy issues that came with new technologies. AWS hosted such a large amount of data at data centers throughout the country that if one could get control of a data center, losing condential mate-rial could lead to signicant consequences.What does this have to do with law enforcement? Well, several things. First, police reports are now all stored elec-tronically for ease of retrieval so that people can pay for copies of reports and, because of the necessity to be able to commu-nicate using tools such as email.Gone are the days of send-ing teletype bulletins to various NCIC units spreading informa-tion about wanted subjects. It is much easier to put information online and ask the public to repeat the information as many times as possible so that perpetrators can be caught quickly. To that end, programs on AWS work as intended. However, we have also seen the dirty side of the Internet Sensation from time to time. For example, New Orleans was subjected to a large-scale takeover of their Internet tech-nologies, which prevented them from being able to access any of the data stored in their systems.Now, steps have been taken to prevent this from happening again, but the fact that it hap-pened once should be enough to realize the danger is real.We send emails at an outra-geous frequency. The emails are both convenient and a threat. If an entire city is unable to ac-cess its data, its infrastructure, its records, its banking, and its employee information, that pre-sents a tremendous problem.At the same time, this gives new importance to the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, the use of search warrants, and the ability to ensure the continu-ity of data and services.Even smaller cities and smaller departments must spend the requisite funds to protect their data and information.Amazon has only grown larger. We must be able to protect the information and data that we are tasked with main-taining on behalf of our com-munities in order to be able to provide necessary services.This goes on and on, and we need to be able to limit the use of department emails to depart-ment business. We need to be able to train employees about the dangers of opening attachments. We need to be able to protect not only the data that the department has an interest in maintaining privately but also the employees need to know that the department has a reasonable interest in their privacy and how to protect it.There are free services avail-able that will accomplish that task well enough for your aver-age individual. There are also services avail-able that may not be free but are able to provide enough protec-tion for those who need a higher level of protection. The point is that this is seri-ous business. Police ocers and police departments need to feel condent that the data they are tasked with maintaining is safe — no matter what the cost.Legal CounselLegal CounselThe Importance of Data ProtectionThe Importance of Data Protection

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SPRING 2023 • 19 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comGovernmentalGovernmentalLiaisonLiaisonJoe MapesIt’s been said that law enforcement is 85 percent boredom and 15 percent sheer terror. The boredom can be managed suc-cessfully in dierent ways, but the sheer terror part engages an ocer’s adrena-line when the hormone adrenaline “dumps” on the ocer’s system. This changes everything for what comes next in regard to an ocer’s be-havior in many situations. Adrenaline is a hormone, but it’s also a neurotransmitter that sends mes-sages to our brain to stay or go in a particular situation. It’s called “ght or ight”. In a tense situation, the adrenaline dumps into an ocer’s bloodstream, and everyt;hing changes. The ocer’s heart races. They become short of breath, and sometimes their hands even shake. This is dicult to manage, and the adrenaline aects every decision that comes next.It’s easy to be an armchair quarter-back and say what should have been done in a particular situation, but if you’re not there to witness things per-sonally, you simply won’t be able to understand how adrenaline aected de-cisions made on a particular scene. When adrenaline dumps, your brain may be telling you to do one thing, while the adrenaline is telling you to. do something completely dierent. It’s at this point (on the crime scene) that ocers are asked to look at the department’s policy book that was put together based on experience, knowledge, and laws that the legis-lature passed. Today’s policy book is drafted with policies, rules ,and laws that tell an ocer to “de-escalate” the situation through several methods. The primary method supposed to be used by ocers is to back o the sit-uation that caused the ocer’s adrena-line to dump. In a ght between your brain and adrenaline. adrenaline over-powers the logical thought process, and some-times, an ocer simply cannot back o.None of this is new information. What is new is many laws passed in re-cent years telling ocers to “de-esca-late” these tense situations by backing o and re-assessing. One problem with that is that physically violent situations don’t allow for this. Everything just keeps rolling until somebody wins, so how can passing laws change how ocer’s handle tense situations if the issue of adrenaline isn’t factored into the new law? Is this even possible?If a panel of politicians is pass-ing laws and ordinances to dene and regulate police behavior/s, and none of those politicians has ever experienced a life or death adrenaline dump, then they just don’t know how much adren-aline dumps aect the performance of an ocer’s duties. There are few professions where fear of death and/or injury is a daily oc-currence, so there are few professions where adrenaline aects so many deci-sions so dramatically. This creates a unique situation that needs to be daalth with in a unique way. Politicians passing laws as reactions to community emotions only makes the politicians feel good, and it gives the public a false sense of security. There’s no way to predict when a situation is going to go sideways and an ocer gets an adrenaline rush. There’s no way to pass a law to make the of-cer react and behave in a particular way when they’re in such a situation. Stopping to reassess the situation and calling in another ocer to help de-escate the situation isn’t in not go-ing to happen, in many cases. That’s facts.Adrenaline dumps are never going to be taken out of law enforcement due to the nature of the work, so this needs to be discussed and considered when passing laws in attempts to regulate police ocer’s behavior on the job. That’s at least one way to factor this into law-making, ie. talk about adrena-line dumps when making laws; a lot. Maybe then, some of these new laws attempting to regulate police behavior/s will begin making some sense because telling a police ocer to stop doing his or her job while they’re in the middle of doing it is like trying to stop a freight train with the feather of a bird. It ain’t gonna happen!The 800-Pound Gorilla The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Roomin the Room

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SPRING 2023 • 21 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comTreasurerTreasurerJim GallagherEach local lodge of the Fraternal Or-der of Police, which has been properly organized and incorporated, is covered by the National FOP’s tax exempt sta-tus as a 501(c)8 non-prot fraternal or-ganization. While this assures local lodges that they will not be taxed on income re-lated to their fraternal mission, it does not make the local lodge a charitable organization. While local lodges may accept do-nations from private individuals and businesses, such donations are not tax deductible for the individual or entity making the contribution.This is where the LAFOP Founda-tion can be of assistance. The LAFOP Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable or-ganization, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Donations made to the LAFOP Foundation are considered tax deduct-ible for the donor. However, donations made to the LAFOP Foundation must follow cer-tain rules and must be made for one of the expressed charitable purposes listed in the LAFOP Foundation Mis-sion Statement.So, what does this all mean to our local lodges?Most importantly, if one of our lo-cal lodges is going to hold a fundraiser or is planning to accept a donation from an individual or corporate sponsor, and that donor expects a letter of contribu-tion to use for income tax purposes, then the local lodge can utilize the LA-FOP Foundation as the recipient of that donation, contribution, or sponsorship.The individual donor(s) or corpo-rate sponsor would make their check payable to the Louisiana FOP Founda-tion and in return would receive an IRS form W-9 and/or a letter of thanks and acknowledgement of the contribution, citing the LAFOP Foundation charita-ble status and IRS Tax Identication Number (TIN/EIN). These forms would allow the donor or sponsor to take full advantage of any tax benet allowed under the law.The LAFOP Foundation would de-posit the donation made by the individ-ual or corporate sponsor and categorize that donation “for the exclusive use of Lodge XX.” The funds would then be available to the local lodge to use for the purpose or cause for which the funds were so-licited or raised. Here is the only caveat. The fund-raising/solicitation purpose must t into at least one of these broad catego-ries delineated in the LAFOP Founda-tion Mission Statement:1. Support any legitimate charitable or educational purpose.2. Advance the safety, security, and well-being of Louisiana’s law enforcement of-cers by making available safety devices and/or training.3. Provide nancial support to under-privileged members of the community.4. Provide nancial and legal support to law enforcement ocers.5. Provide educational grants and schol-arships to law enforcement families.If you’d like more information on us-ing the LAFOP Foundation to help raise funds for your local lodge, please feel free to email me at [email protected] Lodges Can Utilize Local Lodges Can Utilize LAFOP FoundationLAFOP Foundation

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22 • LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL Find us online at www.louisianafop.comBy Craig RussellBrothers and Sisters,I hope 2023 nds you doing well and still pursing your goals for this year. A recent study by the Police Executive Research Forum speaks to the challenges regard-ing hiring and retention. Hiring has become more dicult and the number of in-dividuals retiring or separating service prior to retirement has increased. With an increase in crime and a reduction of personnel, all our of systems, both systemati-cally and personally, have run into a signicant increase in stress. Each of the issues aect our members on an individual level which aects our profession and ultimately the communities we serve.It is important to move be-yond our previous “practices” of “rub some dirt on it and move on.” Collectively, we are work-ing to improve ocer wellness so that our members, and our profession, are fortied with a foundation of success and eve-ryone goes home safely. We know that the burdens carried by our active members do not automatically go away upon after retirement or separa-tion. Remember we are often in the same storm but in dierent size boats.Therefore, it is important that we practice the most basic part of ocer wellness, the buddy check. Take the time to reach out to your buddy and check on them. They may be waiting on an ear to bend. If you need an ear to bend, reach out to your buddy. This goes for active and retired members. After all, “to create and maintain tradition of esprit de corps insuring delity to duty under all conditions and circum-stances; to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual help-fulness among our members” is part of our National Mission Statement.You can nd additional re-sources by visiting our National FOP web page (www.fop.net) and going to the ocer well-ness tab at the top right of your screen. Your National FOP has a dedicated committee to bring us the most current information and help in the area of Ocer Wellness.In service,Craig RussellLouisiana State [email protected] State GuardLouisiana State GuardThe Importance of the ‘Buddy Check’The Importance of the ‘Buddy Check’(225) 931-889727276 Crossing Circle, Denham Springspedrosjuban.com

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SPRING 2023 • 23 Find us online at www.louisianafop.com(318) 557-5661(318) 557-56613494 Front Street3494 Front StreetWinnsboroWinnsboro(504) 443-31343741 Williams Blvd, Suite 11KennerThree Stooges Seafood & Deli985-748-4418 • Amite59210 Hwy 51(504) 493-17223930 Burbank Dr, Baton Rouge(225) 356-74634887 Airline HwyBaton RougeSergeant-at-ArmsSergeant-at-ArmsSusan HebertIn speaking with other law enforce-ment ocers, 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 of-fer. We encourage members to sign up for our state website www.louisiana-fop.com and on Facebook. The site lists Legal Defense Plan, FOP License Plates, College Courses, and important Legislative issues that we often ask you to participate in contacting your state representatives or senators in ask-ing for their support. We highly recommend all law en-forcement ocers get the Legal De-fense Plan for their protection. The plan pays your attorney directly, no out-of-pocket expense, no limit on coverage. No law enforcement ocer should be without this plan. The plan gives you peace of mind. You need to protect your family, your career and your nancial security.This year our National Fraternal Order of Police Conference will be held in August at the MGM in Las Ve-gas. Information will be provided soon for reservations. One of the key tools of growth is communication. Equally important are the many friendships that are formed and new friends from other states and see all what the Fraternal Order of Police is about. It’s important you attend the semi-nar during the day. There is so much information provided at the seminar. I look forward to seeing you there.Why Join the FOP?Why Join the FOP?

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SPRING 2023 • 25 Find us online at www.louisianafop.comChairman of Chairman of TrusteesTrusteesRenee KinlerGreetings to all of my fellow Fra-ternal Order of Police members! For those of you not familiar with me, I am Renee Kinler, Chair-person of Trustees for the Louisi-ana State FOP. I am also an active member of St. Charles Lodge 15 holding the State Trustee position on the board. It is a pleasure to once again serve you on the State Board.I hope the New Year nds you well and healthy. As for me, I am currently transitioning into retire-ment as a Captain after 34 years of enforcement service with the St. Charles Parish Sheri’s Oce. I have worn many hats during my career to include patrol ocer, detective, motor ocer, forensic in-terviewer and my latest position as a Captain with the Special Services Division.Retirement has been a whirl-wind of emotions to say the least, and this is the perfect opportunity to share what I am learning and practicing in this phase of my life. If you are just starting in this career, it is not too early to think about retirement because it will be here before you know it. Establish hobbies and friend-ships outside of the profession. Having relationships and interests aside from law enforcement will prepare you for the culture shock you will face when you depart. Explore your nancial options and invest in your future. Get the advice of a nancial planner to help you invest wisely so you can be -nancially comfortable once you re-tire.For those of us approaching re-tirement or have just crossed the nish line, congratulations to you! Making the break from your extended family will not be easy, I wish I could say it is. Here are a few ideas I have found while research-ing and can be helpful with the tran-sition. -Use your family and friends as support-Use departmental mental health services to help channel the roller coaster of emotions you will expe-rience.-Maintain ties with your agency such as auxiliary or special duty work.-Enjoy a hobby or activity that brings you personal pleasure or travel -Be a guest speaker at your local academy and share your experi-ences -Explore becoming a teacher in Criminal Justice courses or con-sulting work-Begin a new career outside of Law EnforcementThese are just a few of many tips that I have researched and am try-ing to implement.But most importantly pay at-tention to your mental health and do not hesitate to reach out to pro-fessionals and friends to help you along the way. There is a whole new world and way of life out there for you, it just takes time to acclimate. I look forward to seeing every-one in the future and as always, I am available to you at anytime. A Smooth Transition A Smooth Transition Into RetirementInto Retirement

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26 • LOUISIANA FOP JOURNAL Find us online at www.louisianafop.com(318) 758-37611530 4th StreetJonesvilleAutoJERRY’S TRANSMISSION SERVICE1810 SCENIC HWY................................................BATON ROUGEBusiness ServicesAIRLINE GLASS724 N AIRLINE HWY..................................... GONZALESCUU LONG GIANG12355 FLORIDA BLVD.............................. BATON ROUGEEL TIO9656 BURBANK BLVD................................................BATON ROUGEMIKE’S EXPRESS2138 STUMPF BLVD.................................. TERRYTOWNPEDEGO BATON ROUGE711 JEFFERSON HWY STE 1C.............................. BATON ROUGEConstructionGLEN BAKERS HEATING & AIR40472 ABBY JANE..................................................PRAIRIEVILLEFood/BeverageBALESTRA’S FOOD CENTER7902 HWY 23..............................BELLE CHASSECANNATELLA GROCERIES3869 GOVERNMENT ST................................................BATON ROUGEDELTA MINI MARKET1115 S. SECOND STREET.........................................................MONROEHELLO TOKYO SUSHI II14639 AIRLINE HWY..................................... GONZALESLATINOS SUPERMARKET11435 FLORIDA BLVD................................................BATON ROUGESCALLANS MEAT MARKET4775 AIRLINE HWY................................................BATON ROUGEV&P FOOD MART12617 FLORIDA BLVD.............................. BATON ROUGEHome and GardenLOPEZ FURNITURE816 ONEAL LN.............................. BATON ROUGEProfessional ServicesBILL CALDWELL INSURANCE5673 JONES CREEK RD................................................BATON ROUGERetailITIGER PHONE REPAIR257 LEE DRIVE................................................BATON ROUGELAM NGAN JEWELRY925 BEHRMAN HWY STE 13.......................................................... GRETNAClassied DirectoryWe are pleased to offer our readers this easy reference guide to additional businesses. Advertisers are listed alphabetically and by category of service or product. We urge you to patronize these advertisers, as well as those who have purchased display space in this magazine.AutoBusiness ServicesConstructionFarm/AgricultureFood/BeverageHome and GardenHotel/TravelHousing/Real EstateIndustrial/ManufacturingMediaMedicalMiscellaneousOffice EquipmentOrganizations/ChurchesPersonal ServicesPets/VeterinariansProfessional ServicesRecreation/FitnessRetailTruckingBUSINESSCOOPERS PHARMACYEL TIO SUPERMARKETELOISE MARKET & CAKERYFAMILY DEALSGOAT HIPPIELAS PALMAS RESTAURANTLOS AMIGOSMURPHY’S AMMO & GUNSPANDA GARDEN BUFFETQUEEN’S BEAUTY SUPPLYRANDY BEDELLSUPER SAVER DISCOUNTTIGER TAILORINGYASSIN MOHAMMED In addition to the advertisers who have display and directory space in this issue, these merchants and firms are cooperating to make this magazine a successful and valuable publication.Business Directory

2023 Spring Journal

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