Fellow Law Enforcement Officer:

I thank you for your interest in the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police. I hope this letter explains what the Fraternal Order of Police does for sister and brother members on the local, state, and national levels.

The Fraternal Order of Police was started by two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania police officers, Delbert Nagle and Martin Toole. The Fraternal Order of Police has grown from its original 23 officers in Pittsburgh, to more than 318,000 members in all 50 states. The FOP has 43 state lodges and more than 2,000 local lodges. The FOP is by far the largest police organization in the United States. We also have affiliate lodges in Canada, Ireland, and Germany.

One must be a full-time or a retired law enforcement officer to become a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. There must be at least 10 qualified officers to charter a local lodge. Any state having three lodges can form a state lodge. The charter members of the local lodge elect interim officers until formal elections can be held. The local board of directors includes a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, second vice-president, sergeant-at-arms, and chaplain. Each local lodge is represented on the state board of directors by a state trustee.

The state board of directors is composed of the same officers as the local lodge, from the state president to the state chaplain. A national trustee is elected every two years to represents the state lodge. The national trustee sit on the national board of directors. The national board of directors is structured the same as the local and state lodges, president, vice-president, etc.

A local lodge sets it own dues structure based on whatever benefits the lodge wants to provide it members. The local lodge is required to pay a yearly per-capita tax of $3.00 per member per year to the Nebraska State Lodge, and a national per capita tax of $5.50 per member per year to the Grand Lodge. There is also an administrative fee of $25.00 per lodge per year panel to the Grand Lodge.

Officers of the Grand Lodge, the Nebraska State Lodge, and most local lodges serve two year terms. The reason the FOP can provide so many services for it members is because we have only three officers on the national level that are salaried President, Secretary, and Treasurer. As you can imagine these are full time jobs and require full-time compensation.

The Fraternal Order of Police Grand Lodge meets every two years. These conferences are attended by approximately 3,500 voting delegates. Each local lodge is encouraged, but not required to send delegates proportionate with is membership. The state lodge has its meeting, which can be attended by all local lodges, in the year following the national conference. It is at this meeting that state officers are elected, the legislative agenda is prepared, and other business is decided.

The key to the FOP' s success its flexibility and its structure as a democratically governed organization. Every member has an equal voice and the opportunity to determine the future of the Fraternal Order of Police.

NOW TO ANSWER THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

1. Does the Fraternal Order of Police have a Legal Defense Plan?

The FOP offers a legal defense plan that is owned by the Fraternal Order of Police Grand Lodge and administered by Hyatt-McLean Inc. under the guidance of the Legal Aid Committee. It is self funded and has an insurance back-up to cover catastrophic cases.

2. How does the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police raise money?

The Nebraska FOP has two main fund-raising ventures. The first is the Nebraska FOP Journal. This magazine is published twice a year by Callen Publishing and goes to members and advertisers. The magazine contains articles of interests to law enforcement officers and citizens. The second fund raiser is a telephone solicitation handled by Civic Development Group, at the request of the state lodge.

3. Where does this money go?

Monies raised by the Nebraska FOP go to various places. First and foremost $100,000 has been pledged to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial, which is being built in Grand Island. This memorial honors all of our brothers and sisters who have paid the supreme price in the line of duty. Money is also donated to / for the Nebraska Leukemia Society, Nebraska Special Olympics, Scholarship Programs, and legislative matters to improve working conditions for police officers in Nebraska.

4. Do all 10 members have to belong to the same department to form a lodge?

No. These 10 members can the from any department in the state. As a rule though, if your department needs members, it is usually best to get them from the same geographic location. A lodge can consists of sheriffs, police officers, and troopers. The state bylaws specify that in order to join you must be a full-time or retired police officer.

5. Is the FOP affiliated with any Labor Unions AFL / CIO?

NO. The Fraternal Order of Police has no labor union affiliations. The Fraternal Order of Police is first and foremost a fraternal organization for the benefit of it's members. A number of agencies in Nebraska use their local FOP lodge as a bargaining unit.

6. Does this mean the state officers will sit at the bargaining table with the local lodges?

No. The State Lodge will assist you in preparing for the bargaining session, but it will not be at the bargaining session. Why? Because the state lodge does not know your city council or county board members as well as you do.

7. Can we join the FOP as a fraternal organization and then decide to use the FOP as our bargaining unit at a later date?

Yes. To make this decision easier for you and your lodge, the Nebraska State FOP pays your first year state and national per capita tax. If you decide later to use the FOP as a bargaining unit, the Nebraska FOP will pay the fees it takes to get your lodge recognized as a bargaining unit.

8. If we already belong to a bargaining unit and what to change and go with the FOP as a bargaining unit, can we change with no loss of contract benefits?

Yes you can. All new have to do is notify the entity you are bargaining with that you WANT to change your bargaining unit to the FOP. Again, when you do this, the State Lodge will pay your fees for re-recognition.

9. Can I or any member of my department be fired for joining the FOP?

NO. Joining the FOP is no different than joining the POAN, NSA, or STAN.

I hope this letter has provided you with the necessary facts and will clear up some of the fallacies about the Fraternal Order of Police. If you have any questions please feel free to call me collect at 1-877-NEB1FOP, or if you prefer my e-mail address is OmahaFOP@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John Francavilla

John Francavilla
State President
Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police