The Fraternal Order of Police started in 1915 and is the nations largest and most respected police labor organization with nearly 345,000 members, and over 2,200 local lodges nationwide! The FOP is about "Cops for Cops". The FOP does not associate itself with any other fraternal or labor organizations. The National Executive Board of the FOP are all law enforcement officers. The FOP is a non-profit organization who's goals are to promote fraternalism, professionalism and pride in the law enforcement world. The FOP also has a full time legislative office and lobbyists in Washington D.C.  The FOP negotiates more law enforcement labor agreements across the country and in Colorado than any other Law Enforcement Labor Organization.  We are the best at what we do by far!  

 

  

The Roots of the FOP
by John E. McMahon

 A ride on a Pittsburgh Railways trolley car cost a nickel, you could enjoy a silent movie for a dime and radio was unheard of.  If your parents had a telephone it probably was a party line which you shared with someone else.  The Blue Laws were strictly obeyed and a lady only went into a saloon when it had a back room with a separate entrance.  If you owned motorcar it was jacked up in the garage all winter.  The article could go on and on but we are leading up to something dearer to our heart. Two foot patrolman, Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle, were the original Pittsburgh Police Officers who thought of organizing other officers into a body to secure much needed improvement in their way of life.

During the era of 1915 Police Officers were underpaid and overworked.  Their job security was at the whim of a politician who could fire them at the drop of a hat and they had no recourse for unjustified dismissal (sound familiar).  Police were forced, at times, to work twelve hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year and no thought of being paid overtime.  Their patience worn thin and they were ready to organize so as a group they would have strength in seeking justice for their plight.  During the spring of 1915 Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle met nightly at the corners of Second and Flowers Avenue, Hazelwood, and would discuss the problems of the police officer.  One particular evening the conversation was about organized labor when suddenly Toole blurted out, “What do you say about trying to organize the police?” Nagle replied, “What the devil are we waiting for, let’s go!”

Considerable planning had to be done in a very secretive manner for if their plans were known heads could hit the chopping block.  On Friday, May 14, 1915 twenty-three men met in secret at 9:00 A.M. at the Wabash Station Building, Ferry Street and Liberty Avenue.  It was at that meeting that the name Fraternal Order of Police was adopted.  Temporary Officers were elected until such time when a Charter for the organization was granted.  Twenty-three was adopted as the password for the group. This was in recognition of the twenty-three men who realized that they were sticking their necks out.  They were determined to have a police organization regardless of the consequences.

Police Superintendent Noble Matthews learned of the meeting that afternoon and was furious.  He threatened to "sharpen his ax" but it was a waste of his time and no doubt played havoc with his blood pressure.  History relates, after hearing what was in the wind he sent a policeman to Toole’s home instructing him to report to headquarters immediately.  Toole obeyed the order and told him what had transpired.  According to Toole, Matthews called him an agitator and what ever else came to mind at that moment.  He wanted to know why Toole did not talk with him before starting such nonsense.  Toole gave him several plausible reasons but he did not wish to hear any of them.  Toole further explained that at the next meeting a committee would be formed to talk things over with him. That blew the cork out of the bottle for Matthews who screamed, "Oh - so you are going to have another meeting huh, how many men have taken part in this?" Matthews had a dizzy spell when told that over 300 men were actively involved.  After regaining his composure he exploded again saying, “Get out of here and break it up!  Do you hear me?  Break it up at once!"  Toole made no reply but left the office.

Their next important move was to contact Mayor Joseph G. Armstrong and explain directly what they had in mind. Superintendent Matthews had to be shown the light of day and labor oriented Mayor Armstrong was the man to enlighten him. According to research Mayor Joseph G. Armstrong, an active member of the Flint Workers Union, helped with the original planning of Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1. They formed May 5, 1903.  Saturday morning President William H. Larking, Vice President Delbert Nagle and Secretary Martin Toole went to mayor Joseph Armstrong’s office and told him what had transpired and it was the desire of the police to organize. After explaining in detail to the Mayor he agreed with them. He stated, "Well boys I don’t see a thing wrong with this, as long as you adhere strictly to the methods and principles you have adopted. You will never go wrong. They should carry you through with flying colors. You have my hearty approval and full cooperation."   When told that, Superintendent Matthews was trying hard to discourage the organization.  He picked up the phone and asked for the Superintendent of Police. Mayor Armstrong said, "Listen Noble, let them boys alone! Let them go.”

At a meeting, Wednesday, November 17, 1915, Attorney Robert G. Woodside read the Charter granted earlier that day by Judge Thomas J. Ford of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  Immediately plans were formulated to lobby City Council for a reduction of the 365-day work schedule. Council realized that action must be taken on the F.O.P.’s complaint and passed an ordinance on Monday, October 9, 1916, giving police officers two days off each month with pay. Other police departments took notice and they began to organize under Pittsburgh’s Leadership.  State Lodges were established and then the Grand Lodge was formed to encompass the United States.

From the original 23 members the membership now totals nearly 345,000 and there are over 2200 local Lodges including one in Dublin, Ireland. These figures are growing annually. At the 5th Annual National Convention held August 15-18, 1921, at Reading, Pennsylvania, Joseph G. Armstrong was introduced to the assembled body as the ex-Mayor of Pittsburgh who is the father of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Who Are We?

The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police has over 5,000 members in Colorado and that number is growing.  Across the nation we have nearly 345,000 members.   The most common question that we receive almost daily by phone or email from law enforcement officers around Colorado is who are the FOP and what is it about?  The Fraternal Order of Police is about “cops”.  Yes cops.  The heart and soul of our organization is law enforcement officers acting in the best interest of law enforcement officers.  Who knows the trials and demands of our profession better than those who work our nation's cities, counties, streets, highways and jails than cops?  Who knows better than cops the impact on society when one of our own falls in the line of duty?  Those of us in this world who put the gun and badge on daily, or did so for many years are the true experts in our profession.  The FOP is the heart and soul of the line officer.  Ours is an organization of police officers, mostly active and some retired.  The men and women who daily serve their communities to ensure our nation remains a country of laws that serve to make our society free.

When you join the Fraternal Order of Police you join a unique brotherhood that represents your profession.  We know the daily problems and unfair treatment that happens in your workplace.  Why?  Because we are there.  That is the way it should be.  There is no other Law Enforcement Organization either nationally or in Colorado the size and strength of the FOP to fight the battles that must be fought on behalf of our brothers and sisters to improve their working conditions and gain the respect our work demands.   Every battle we have fought and will fight has not been easy.  Victories on behalf of our profession have been difficult ones, but they were finally achieved.  Losses in our fight are only merely setbacks and not deterrents to our goals or reason to soften the standards and improvements we seek.  The FOP is the voice of law enforcement that will not be silenced.

Nearly 100 years ago two police officers in Pittsburgh formed a Union to fight for the rights of law enforcement and named it the Fraternal Order of Police.  Today the FOP is still fighting those same battles all around the country.  In our profession working conditions, work hours, salary and benefit packages continue to be scattered across the board. Today as you read this there are Colorado Law Enforcement Officers who qualify for welfare!  This is simply unacceptable. There are no other professions in which you have the ability to arrest, to legally use deadly force, give your life to save the life of another, and be expected to support your family at below poverty levels.  This is unacceptable.

The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police is dedicated to changing that by gaining an equal voice for law enforcement officers.  You deserve to be able to sit at the table across from management in an environment of mutual respect and enter into negotiated agreements concerning your wages, benefits and working conditions.  We are working hard at the National level, State level and within the municipalities and counties to enacted legislation granting you the right to collectively bargain.  At times progress may not be as fast as we all would like, but ultimately we will persevere.

 

 

FOP’s Political Action
 

The FOP has a full time lobbyist that has been working in the Colorado State Legislature for several years. He has cultivated relationships with various key legislators and our current Governor. These relationships are critical to any realistic lobbying efforts on behalf of law enforcement in Colorado. He is very good at what he does.  

The primary responsibility of any law enforcement lobbyist is to work not only for passage of any legislation that is important to our profession, but to also work to defeat legislation that is detrimental. An experienced well informed lobbyist who is well connected in the legislature is extremely important to moving FOP’s written or sponsored legislation through committee, the legislature, and eventually to the Governor’s office.

In Colorado and at the National level of the FOP we have an FOP legislative committee that works closely with our lobbyists here and in Washington DC. The Colorado and National FOP legislative Committees monitor various bills introduced that impact law enforcement positively and negatively making decisions on how we will address these matters.  The Colorado FOP Legislative Committee also works closely with the State Executive Board, the Labor Council, our FOP General Counsel and our lobbyist in drafting FOP legislation to improve both the law enforcement profession and the working conditions of our members. For example the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police legislative committee has drafted a bill that will give all law enforcement officers and firefighters in Colorado the right to collectively bargain with their employer. We are partnered with the Colorado Firefighters” union in this joint effort.

This legislative effort will prove to be as hard a fight as was our bill which modified the Sheriff’s “Pleasure” statute giving Sheriff’s Deputies in Colorado due process in disciplinary matters. Our lobbying efforts were instrumental in gaining both its passage and the Governor signing off on that key piece of legislation. The collective bargaining bill will prove to be just as difficult, but we are confident once again we will get the job done.

More importantly than lobbying however is the Colorado FOP’s “Political Action Program”. Our local lodges spend much time and effort interviewing candidates in various districts around Colorado who are running for the state legislature. FOP support is sought out by many of those candidates in their campaigns. Those candidates who best match our philosophies and support improving working conditions for law enforcement officers get our support.  Time, effort and money are expended by us to get those people elected. We have been very successful in getting friends of law enforcement elected to the state legislature. As a result we have many friends on the hill who answer the call of our lobbying and legislative efforts.

The National Fraternal Order of police operates in much the same manner. We have a staff of highly experienced lobbyists in Washington D.C. who are working on our behalf daily. The National FOP works closely with each state lodge in identifying key persons running for both the US House and Senate and endorsing and supporting their election efforts in each state. The National FOP is well connected and respected in Washington D.C. as being a force in promoting national legislation that effects our working conditions and profession as a whole. Being the largest politically involved law enforcement labor organization in Colorado and the United States gives the Fraternal Order of Police a powerful voice when it comes to legislation that affects our profession and working conditions. There is no other law enforcement labor organization that can make this claim.