Welcome
to NAPO
The
National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition
of police unions and associations from across the United States
that serves to advance the interests of America's law enforcement
officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political
action and education.
Founded
in 1978, NAPO is now the strongest unified voice supporting
law enforcement officers in the United States. NAPO represents
more than 2,000 police units and associations, 241,000 sworn
law enforcement officers, 11,000 retired officers and more
than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair
and effective crime control and law enforcement.
NAPO's
TOP COPS®
Honored by President Obama
Thirty two TOP COPS were honored at the White House on May
12, 2009.
The officers met with President Barack Obama and Vice
President Joe Biden in the Oval Office before being recognized
by the President, Vice President and Attorney General Eric
Holder at a ceremony in the Rose Garden. Attendees of
the ceremony included friends and family of the TOP COPS Winners,
as well as dignitaries from Congress and NAPO Executive Board
members. Watch the ceremony on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMWH54sG7s
NAPO
Announces 2009 TOP COPS®
Award Winners
Arizona
Phoenix
Police Department
Police Officer Fabian Gonzalez
Florida
Palm
Beach County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Sheriff William Badala
Georgia
Tifton
Police Department
Police Officer Dorminey D. McCrae
Idaho
Boise
Police Department
Police Officer Chris Davis
Police Officer Jason Rose
Illinois
Skokie
Police Department
Police Officer Timothy Gramins
International
Drug
Enforcement Administration
Special Agent John Archer
Special Agent William Brown
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Craine
Supervisory Special Agent Brian Dodd
Supervisory Special Agent Louis J. Milione
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Nargi
Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Soiles
Louisiana
Jefferson
Parish Sheriff's Office
Deputy Rhonda Goff
Michigan
Dewitt Township Police
Department
Police Officer William Darnell
Missouri
Kansas City Police Department
Police Officer David Loar
Police Officer Christopher Skinner
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Police Department
Police Officer Brian Freas
NAPO
Leadership Called to Meetings with Vice President and Attorney
General
On
February 11, 2009, NAPO leadership was in Washington, D.C. for separate meetings with Attorney
General Eric Holder and Vice President Joe Biden. In the morning of the 11th, NAPO
President Tom Nee and Executive Director Bill Johnson had
a private meeting with the Attorney General to discuss NAPO’s priorities and the direction the association would like
to see the Justice Department go on those issues.
Later
that afternoon, NAPO’s elected officers met with Vice President
Biden in his office for an informal discussion of the law
enforcement priorities of the Obama/Biden administration.
Although several other law enforcement organizations
were represented, the Vice President singled out NAPO for its exceptional work in promoting and working for the
law enforcement community’s biggest issues.
Vice President Biden also singled out Tom Nee as his
close friend and partner over the years in fighting for the
needs of law enforcement. “Although I love all of you guys, if I had to
pick one guy to be in a foxhole with, it would be Tommy Nee
and NAPO,” said the Vice President. This continues the special recognition of NAPO as “the leader of America’s national law enforcement organizations”
as stated by President Obama.
NAPO looks forward to continuing and strengthening
our relationships with the Attorney General Holder and Vice
President Biden as we work closely with the new administration
over the coming years. View
photos of the meetings.
NAPO-ENDORSED
FISA BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
On July
10, 2008, President Bush signed into law an electronic surveillance
bill that will overhaul and modernize the
30-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Over the past year, passage of this bill has been stalled
due to a congressional standoff over the issue of granting
retroactive legal immunity to telecommunications companies
being sued for their cooperation in the federal government's
surveillance program after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Understanding the necessity of passing this FISA legislation,
Democratic and Republican Congressional leadership began discussions
over compromise language. Negotiations were halted numerous
times because House Democrats were unwilling to accept the
immunity provision as part of the bill and Senate Republicans
vowed to block any bill that did not protect telecommunications
companies from prosecution.
In March, NAPO stepped into the fray, urging lawmakers to support
the retroactive immunity provision. In June, a compromise
was made: a federal district court will rule that all existing
lawsuits against third parties that assisted in surveillance
would be waived if there was “substantial evidence” they received
written assurances that the program was legal and authorized
by the president. NAPO supports this compromise, which was passed by Congress on June 9,
and is certain that the court will dismiss the lawsuits.
NAPO
believes that after the tragedies of September 11, 2001, telecommunications firms fulfilled
what they perceived to be their patriotic duty in responding
to the government’s request for assistance in gathering intelligence.
We feel that these firms should not come under legal action
for responding to requests authorized by the President and
the Attorney General. It is unfair to subject these companies
to costly civil lawsuits and damaged reputations merely for
cooperating with their government.
Additionally, granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications
companies is necessary to avoid establishing a very dangerous
precedent that would act as a strong disincentive for individual
companies and even entire industries to assist law enforcement
at any level of government. We believe granting immunity
is essential to preserving the cooperative relationship between
the government and private industry.
The federal government alone cannot fight the war on terror.
It depends on state and local governments, as well as the
private sector, to help prevent the next terrorist attack.
We need to strengthen, not weaken, these established partnerships.
NAPO feels that in providing retroactive immunity for companies that
cooperated in the government's war on terror, we have taken
an important step toward keeping our nation safe.
NAPO
ACHIEVES VICTORY AT U.S. SUPREME COURT
On February
25, 2008,
the U.S. Supreme Court issued two decisions in favor of the
National Association of Police Organizations ("NAPO") and
law enforcement officers across the United States. First, the Court granted a motion filed by NAPO in November to allow the group to participate in the
case as an "amicus curiae" or "friend of the
court". The role of an amicus curiae is to make
available to the Court the benefit of NAPO's extensive knowledge and experience
in the sphere of law enforcement, particularly as it regards
the challenges and dangers confronted by rank and file officers.
NO OTHER POLICE GROUP WAS GRANTED PERMISSION BY THE
COURT TO PARTICIPATE.
Second, the Court also granted a petition made by the State
of Arizona
and supported by NAPO, to review a decision of the Arizona State Supreme
Court that, if left unchallenged, could significantly endanger
the safety of officers everywhere. In the case,
Tucson officers conducted a routine "Belton" search of
the interior of a vehicle following the lawful arrest of the
occupant. On appeal, the state supreme court held for
the first time that once the officers had placed the occupant
under arrest and secured him, they had lost the right to search
the vehicle they had just removed him from. This
decision contradicts well-settled law concerning the right
of officers to search the passenger compartments of vehicles
to locate and preserve evidence, to safekeep items, and
most importantly, to protect themselves. If left to
stand, the Arizona
court's decision would force officers to try to search
a vehicle when the accused is still occupying it, or
to give up their legitimate right to protect their own
safety by being unable to search once an arrest has been made.
The next step in this process at the U.S. Supreme Court level,
now that that Court has agreed to take jurisdiction, will
be for both parties to file briefs on the merits, and
to set the case for oral argument. NAPO
will keep all members informed of the progress of the case.
The case is titled "Arizona vs. Gant" U.S. Supreme
Court Case No. 07-542. NAPO's brief was
authored by Devallis Rutledge of the Los Angeles County D.A.'s Office, and Bill Johnson, NAPO's executive director and general counsel.
NAPO
AGAIN SOLE POLICE GROUP TO TESTIFY BEFORE U.S. SENATE
Anthony Wieners, NAPO Executive Board Member
and President of the New Jersey State PBA, Testifies Before
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
On Wednesday, February, 27, 2008, Detective Anthony Wieners,
NAPO Executive Board Member and President of the New Jersey
State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, testified before
the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs on “Supporting
the Front Line in the Fight Against Crime: Restoring Federal
Funding for State and Local Law Enforcement.” The hearing
consisted of three panels of witnesses. Senators Tom Harkin
(D-IA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Mark Eply, senior counsel
to the deputy attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice,
made up the first two panels. Detective Wieners testified
alongside Police Chief Jeffrey Horvath of Dover, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay
on the third panel. Detective Wieners was the only representative
of rank-and-file law enforcement asked to testify at the hearing.
This is the third time in ten months that the U.S. Congress
has turned to NAPO to be the sole rank-and-file law enforcement
organization to provide testimony regarding the role of the
federal government in helping communities prevent and respond
to violent crime, as well as the need for collective bargaining
for America’s law enforcement officers.
Detective Wieners addressed three issues in his testimony that
are of increasing concern to NAPO and law enforcement: the
decrease in funding for vital Department of Justice state
and local law enforcement assistance programs witnessed over
the past several years; the additional duties taken on by
local law enforcement agencies in the post-9/11 era; and finally,
the recent increase in crime rates experienced by communities
nationwide. He called on the federal government to reverse
the downward spiral in support of state and local law enforcement
grant programs and to recognize the important impact having
more police on the streets has on crime.
Click here
for a complete copy of Detective Wieners’ submitted testimony.
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