FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE ENDORSES MCCAIN!!!
Nominee has the “full support” of the nation’s largest police labor organization

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, today announced the organization’s endorsement of Senator John S. McCain III for the office of President.

“The FOP carefully considered the records and the responses of both candidates and, in our evaluation, Senator McCain will provide greater leadership for our country and for our nation’s law enforcement officers,” Canterbury said. “We will be proud to stand behind him this November, and to stand with him for the next four years.”

For a candidate to receive the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, he must receive a two-third majority of the National Board, which is made up of one Trustee from each of the organization’s State Lodges. 

“Our National Board, and the more than 327,000 members of the FOP, acquainted themselves with Senator McCain’s record, and, after meeting with him face to face in July, he made it very clear that he is with us on the issues most important to our members,” Canterbury said.  “Like our members, he sees issues through the eyes of someone that has been on the front lines.  That is exactly the kind of perspective, and the kind of leadership, that we need in the White House.”

Canterbury cited Senator McCain’s strong support for the FOP’s efforts to amend the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act and pledged to work with the organization in crafting our nation’s law enforcement policy.

“Senator John McCain is a proven leader with a clear record of support for the men and women who put their lives on the line–just as he did–to defend our communities and our nation,”  Canterbury said.  “I am proud to offer the Senator our endorsement today and I look forward to working with the McCain Administration over the next four years.”

www.fop.net

ANDERSON — Roughly 100 people gathered in the Anderson County Council chambers Thursday evening to honor the law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

The event, organized by the Anderson County Fraternal Order of Police, was one of hundreds of ceremonies happening across the country Thursday in conjunction with Police Memorial Day.

Five state troopers stood in front of the council bench representing “the thin blue line.” Residents sniffled as musicians played “Amazing Grace” and “Taps” and bowed their heads in prayer for the fallen officers and their families.

“We can walk our streets and be safe in our homes because of what they do,” Anderson County Sheriff David Crenshaw told the crowd. “… They put it on the line for us, and they did it willingly.”

With the exception of 2001, when 72 police officer were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, 2007 proved to be the deadliest year for American law enforcement since 1989. One hundred and eighty one officers were killed nationwide last year, including six in South Carolina.

The state already has lost two officers this year — Lance Cpl. James D. Haynes, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper from Orangeburg County and Deputy William Howell Jr. of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Charles McNair, chief of the Cayce Department of Public Safety, encouraged those in attendance at the Anderson event to move past the anger that comes with losing a loved one. McNair spent seven years learning that lesson after his close friend and fellow highway patrol officer Mark Coates was shot during a traffic stop in 1992.McNair’s words hit home for Anderson resident Kelly Hill and her mother, Marti Sheppard Compton. They lost a father and husband when Patrolman Charles Sheppard’s patrol car was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 1975.

Hill was 5 years old at the time, but she said her grandmother harbored anger about the accident for years. The family still attends the memorial each year, like so many others, to remember and reflect.

“It’s like a family thing,” Hill said. “Everybody consoles everybody.”

Blair Jennings

The South Carolina Police Benevolent Association Inc. has endorsed 9th Circuit solicitor candidate Blair Jennings.

Jennings is running against Solicitor Scarlett Wilson in the June 10 Republican primary. Jennings is the former deputy solicitor in Berkeley County. Gov. Mark Sanford appointed Wilson solicitor last year after the death of Ralph Hoisington.

Jennings reached out to the law enforcement community when he began working in Berkeley County seven years ago, S.C. PBA President and Goose Creek Police Lt. Dave Soderberg said. Jennings offered training to law enforcement on how to build cases that would lead to successful prosecution and he was accessible and diligent, Soderberg said.

The S.C. PBA is a division of the Southern States PBA Inc., which is composed of more than 20,000 law enforcement members. The association provides legal, disciplinary and other representation to members.

S.1006 is Senator Ritchie's bill that would allow health and dental benefits for the families of slain law enforcement officers. 

The Senate Finance Committee meets tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8, at 3:00, to discuss S.1006.  We need lots of calls and e-mails to the members of the Senate Finance Committee to ask for passage of this legislation!!!!

Get on the phone and e-mail if you want this to pass!!!!!

You can find the members of the committee on the State House website, www.scstatehouse.net, along with their e-mail addresses.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the Miami Fraternal Order of Police are at odds with each over how to properly mourn the death of a police officer.

Last week, the FOP sent a scathing letter to Diaz denouncing his absence at the Jan. 12 funeral of slain Miami Detective James Walker.

But Diaz told The Miami Herald on Saturday that he was at a loss over the criticism in the FOP's letter, saying he attended Walker's viewing the night before the funeral, grieving with the police officer's family, friends and fellow law enforcement colleagues. Walker, 30, was the fifth South Florida law enforcement officer shot dead since November 2006.

Services for the slain officer were held Saturday, Jan. 12 in Miami Gardens, where hundreds turned out for the emotional ceremony. In attendance: several top public officials, including Miami Police Chief John Timoney and Miami Gardens Police Chief Matthew Boyd.

Days later, the FOP's rank-and-file unanimously voted to send a letter expressing their outrage at Diaz for not attending Walker's funeral.

''Detective Walker made the ultimate sacrifice by dying in the line of duty while trying to protect others,'' said the letter. ``This act of total disrespect will never be forgiven.''

''I would like to say that this despicable act surprised me, but quite frankly it did not, since you became Mayor of the City of Miami, we have had to fight you at every front in order to protect our members,'' the letter concluded.

The letter was signed by Miami FOP President Armando Aguilar, Miami Community Police Benevolent Association President, Vernell Reynolds, and Hispanic Officers Association President Rolando Gutierrez.

Diaz dismissed the FOP's charges against him. ''I don't think it's up to [FOP's] judgment on how I should mourn. That's my way, it's a personal thing and, more importantly, a family thing,'' he said.

''Frankly, I don't understand it,'' Diaz said. ``This is about mourning a loss. To me, it's about family.''

When asked what he was doing on Saturday, Jan. 12, the day of the funeral, Diaz replied: ``I honestly do not recall.''

Diaz and the FOP have long had a strained relationship.

During contentious labor agreement negotiations, the FOP has made several public displays of its unhappiness with the Miami mayor.

In September 2006, Aguilar and the FOP held a rally at City Hall to decry their department's pension plan, which they claimed to be substandard.

In October 2006, three weeks after the City Hall protest, police picketed the gala opening of the then-Carnival Center, this time rallying for higher pay.

The rank-and-file's displeasure with the mayor came to a head in September 2007 when the union gave a vote of no confidence to Timoney, who was appointed police chief by Diaz and took office in January 2003.

Walker was off-duty and on his way to his wife's apartment when he was shot and killed on after midnight on Jan. 8 while inside his unmarked police car in North Miami Beach.

Detectives, who believe Walker fired back in self-defense, arrested and charged Andrew James Rolle, 20, with the murder.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN
Regrettably, Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) had to withdraw the collective bargaining amendment (S. Amdt. 3830) from consideration.  No vote will be held.

The Kennedy-Gregg Amendment, like most amendments to the Farm bill that were considered on the floor this week, required a sixty (60) margin to pass.  We had more than the 60 we needed to pass the amendment, however, the timing of the final debate among the Democratic Presidential candidates held in Iowa yesterday cost us four (4) votes in favor of the bill.  We would have had to "flip" two (2) Republican Senators to prevail or reach a unanimous consent agreement to vote on our amendment at a time when we knew that those Senators campaigning for President in Iowa would be back in the Senate.

Senators Michael B. Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), and Jim DeMint (R-SC), took advantage of this absence and would have blocked the agreement to hold the vote at a time certain by offering hostile "second degree" amendments.  This obstacle, combined with bad weather in the center of country, precluded any definitive plans of the four Senators campaigning in Iowa from committing to return to the Senate for votes on Friday or even Saturday.

Ultimately, we opted to withdraw the amendment from consideration rather than hold a series of debates and votes on second degree amendments without knowing for certain that we could get 60 votes for our amendment, or even if the Farm bill itself would eventually pass.

FOP members should take some time and thank Senators Kennedy, Gregg, and Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE), one of the Senators in Iowa who committed to return if the vote were held, for all of their efforts in support of the amendment.  They were very committed to getting this to a vote this week, and they should know their efforts were sincerely appreciated.

On behalf of National President Canterbury and the staff at the National Legislative Office, I do want to thank all the members of the Grassroots Action Network who took the time out to contact their Senators--especially those who had been specifically targeted--all this week.  Those calls did make a difference.

It is important to remember that we do have the votes to pass this bill and to defeat a filibuster.  Unfortunately, the timing of the Iowa debate and the difficult weather conditions interfered with the ability to deliver those votes.  We anticipate that, when Congress reconvenes next year, we will be in a position to move ahead with a vote on our legislation.

Thank you again for your help on this critical legislative issue and best wishes to you and your families for the holiday season.

We Need Your Help!!!

The Senate will hold a vote on our collective bargaining amendment, S. Amdt. 3830, either this evening or early tomorrow morning.  WE NEED 60 VOTES FOR THE AMENDMENT TO PASS AND EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!!

The amendment (S. Amdt. 3830) is identical to the Senate version of the collective bargaining bill and has been offered by Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH).

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION:
WE NEED 60 VOTES!!!

All FOP members should call their Senators at their Washington offices (or through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121) and urge them to vote in favor of the Kennedy-Gregg Amendment (S. Amdt. 3830) to the Farm bill!!!

The organizations who opposes the bill are already hard at work using their phone banks to tell YOUR Senators to vote against the amendment.  We NEED to counteract this--call your Senators today!!!

When making contact with your Senators, use the following talking points to explain why this legislation is so important to law enforcement officers:

• What the bill does: The legislation recognizes the right of public safety employees to form and join a labor organization and to bargain over hours, wages, and the terms and conditions of employment.  The specifically prohibits lockouts and strikes, and also protects State laws--including right-to-work laws--that provide equal or greater collective bargaining rights than those outlined in the bill.
•  The bill passed the House by a wide margin earlier this year and has bipartisan support in the Senate.  In July 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives considered and passed a nearly identical measure, H.R. 980, the "Public Employer-Employee Cooperation Act," under a suspension of the rules on a 314-97 vote.  The Senate version of the bill, S. 2123, which is identical to the amendment being offered to the Farm bill, has twenty-six (26) cosponsors.

If any of the Senator's staff that you speak with have additional questions about the legislation, tell them to contact Tim Richardson at in the FOP's National Legislative Office at 202-547-8189.


This is our chance to pass the collective bargaining bill!!!  We need ALLFOP members to CONTACT THEIR SENATORS IN THEIR WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE NOW AND ASK THEM TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF S. Amdt. 3830 to the Farm Bill!!!