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The National
Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition
of law enforcement 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 unions and associations, 236,000 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.
Increasingly,
the rights and interests of law enforcement officers -- America's
Finest -- have been the subject of legislative, executive
and judicial action in the Nation's Capital, Washington, DC.
From issues of Federal funding of State law enforcement and
anti-drug efforts, to proposed taxation of employee health,
pension and other benefits, the actions of Congress and the
Administration impact significantly upon police interests.
These interests must be protected vigorously in light of the
vital role law enforcement officers play in maintaining the
peace and security of American society -- that's where NAPO
comes in.
Working
independently and with other police, public employee and employer
groups, NAPO has achieved a number of solid legislative accomplishments
for its constituents. It has also defeated efforts that would
seriously undermine law enforcement interests. Among NAPO's
many legislative victories in recent years are:
1. An
executive order issued by President Clinton on June 30, 2000
establishing the Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers.
The purpose of the Presidential Medal of Valor is to recognize
those public safety officers who have shown extraordinary
valor above and beyond the call of duty in the exercise of
their official duties. The Presidential Medal of Valor will
be given out each year during the commemoration of Police
Week;
2. The
Police, Fire and Emergency Officers Educational Assistance
Act of 1998 which authorizes educational assistance for the
dependants of public safety officers killed or permanently
and totally disabled in the line of duty on or after October
1, 1997. It is an expansion of the Federal Law Enforcement
Officers Dependents Act of 1996, or the Degan Bill, which
was passed in memory of Deputy United States Marshal William
Degan, who was shot and killed in 1992. The expansion covers
all public safety officers, which includes law enforcement
officers, correctional officers and firefighters. The scholarships
would be roughly $4,485 per dependent per year to cover four
years of higher education, adjusted annually based on the
cost of living;
3. The
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 which creates
a new program to be administered by the U.S. Department of
Justice to assist State and local authorities in providing
bulletproof vests to their officers. For fiscal years 1999-2001,
$25 million has been authorized for each year to provide up
to 50% of the costs of the vests;
4. The
Care for Police Survivors Act of 1998 which makes two important
amendments to the Public Safety Officers Benefits Act, which
was signed into law more than 20 years ago. The Act requires
that the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance spends
at least $150,000 to enhance national peer support and counseling
services for the families of fallen officers and to address
the current backlog of cases still pending by the Public Safety
Officers Benefits Office;
5. The
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 which includes federal tax free
survivor benefits for public safety officers killed in the
line of duty, exemption from federal taxes for heart and hypertension
benefits, a permanent moratorium on application of certain
nondiscrimination rules to state and local governments and
the removal of the dollar limitation on payment of pension
benefits;
6. Amendments
to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act that provide an
exemption for public safety employees;
7. The
Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, which includes
important revisions to Internal Revenue Code Section 415,
providing protection for public sector employees' retirement
benefits, and revisions to Internal Revenue Code 457 increasing
the amount public employees can contribute to their 457 deferred
compensation plan and protecting worker monies from employer
abuse;
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8.
The Source Tax Bill of 1996 which prohibits states from
taxing the retirement income of former residents whose pensions
were earned in that state;
9.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,
omnibus anti-crime legislation;
10.
The Family Leave and Medical Act of 1993;
11.
The Law Enforcement Family Support Act, which provides funds
for law enforcement stress research and training;
12.
Legislation in 1988, which raised the Public Service Officers’
Benefit for officers killed in the line of duty from $50,000
to $100,000 plus annual cost of living indexing. Today the
Federal Death Benefit is $146,946;
13.
Legislation in 1988, which prohibits implementation of an
Internal Revenue Service proposal to tax-accrued public
employee leave as current income;
14.
Prevention of the curtailment of adoptive asset forfeiture
payments to the states by the Federal Government;
15.
Effective and equitable provisions of the Fair Labor Standards
Act (FLSA) Amendments of 1985, which implemented the United
States Supreme Court's decision in the Garcia case, upholding
the constitutionality of the Fair Labor Standards Act to
non-Federal public employees.
These are merely illustrative of the areas where police
participation through NAPO has made, and continues to make
a difference. The legislative issues affecting the vital
interests of police officers continue to grow daily as crime,
drugs and law enforcement issues occupy more time of Congress
and the Administration.
NAPO
works in several ways to influence the course of national
affairs insofar as law enforcement interests are concerned.
First, it maintains a Washington office to monitor legislative
and administrative developments and provides information
to NAPO's membership on a timely basis so that it can respond
from the grassroots level. The Washington Report is routinely
disseminated to the membership, updating them on the current
issues on which NAPO is working.
NAPO
affiliates and representatives meet frequently with members
of Congress and their staff at home and in Washington to
express their views on issues of concern. At the annual
NAPO Convention, the delegates take action to establish
NAPO legislative goals and priorities. Also, in election
years, delegates vote upon endorsements of candidates for
national and congressional office who have earned police
support.
NAPO
established a sister 501(c)(3) research and education organization
in 1991, the Police Research and Education Project (PREP).
PREP has conducted research on law enforcement stress and
its effect on the family under the auspices of two National
Institute of Justice grants.
In
1994, the National Law Enforcement Officer Rights Center
was established under PREP to protect officers' legal and
constitutional rights. The Rights Center is the first legal
support center established to help law enforcement officers
deal with the increase of litigation sweeping through the
law enforcement community. In addition to filing legal briefs,
the Rights Center serves as a clearing-house for information,
conducts research and holds educational seminars.
The
Rights Center has filed numerous briefs amicus curiae on
behalf of law enforcement officers to the U.S. Supreme Court
and several to state appellate courts. The Rights Center
has also published surveys on states' fireman rules, collective
bargaining laws and a law enforcement officer's right to
carry a firearm off-duty.
In
October 1994, NAPO held its first annual TOP COPS Awards®
ceremony in Washington D.C. with special guest President
Clinton and Master of Ceremonies John Walsh, host of "America's
Most Wanted." The 1995 and 1996 Awards have included
keynote speaker Vice President Gore and Masters of Ceremony,
Lynne Russell of CNN's "Headline News" and Richard
Belzer of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Lynne Russell and Richard Belzer returned to host the 1997,
1998, 1999 and 2000 TOP COPS Awards® as well. The prestigious
TOP COPS Awards® are given annually to sworn law enforcement
officers from across the country who are nominated by their
peers for outstanding service.
NAPO
sponsors the Annual Law Enforcement Pension and Benefits
Seminar, the Annual Law Enforcement Legal and Legislative
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Rights
Conference, and has sponsored seminars on collective bargaining,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), law enforcement stress management,
drug testing, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and
public relations.
A founding member of the Law Enforcement Steering Committee
(LESC), NAPO meets regularly with the eight national law enforcement
organizations that are members of the LESC, to strategize
on passing legislation beneficial to law enforcement.
NAPO,
an active member of the National Law Enforcement Officers
Memorial Fund, worked for the successful passage of the legislation
setting up the fund and served on the site selection and inscription
committees. NAPO, through its members, raised over $1,000,000
for the Memorial. NAPO is also a major sponsor of Concerns
of Police Survivors' seminars during National Police Week.
The National
Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) a coalition of
law enforcement unions and associations, representing more
than 225,000 officers from across the United States recently
held the first meeting of their Correctional Officers Committee
during their Legal Rights and Legislative Seminar in Washington
DC. The committee is the first of its kind in the country
and should serve as a bridge between the nation's corrections
and law enforcement worlds.
In preparation
for NAPO's first correctional officers committee meeting,
a survey was mailed to all organizational members in order
to formulate an agenda of priorities for the committee, and
set up a contact base of potential committee members.
On May
11, 2001, correctional committee members from New Jersey,
New York, Florida, and California met at the NAPO headquarters
in Washington DC to discuss results of the corrections survey,
how the issues affect their individual States, what recommendations
can the committee make to NAPO.
The committee
also adopted a mission statement for the committee and made
the recommendation to amend the NAPO Resolution on Privatization
and Civilization to include the opposition to the privatization
of any Federal, State, County Correctional facility or jail,
or any secure building, camp, farm or other facility used
to house persons in the custody of any law enforcement agency
of a public body; also the transportation of inmates by any
private individual, person, corporation, partnership, association
business or other entity.
New Jersey's
Henry J. Ruiz, who was appointed chairman of the committee,
said the meeting was a big success and served as a catalyst
to network information and resources between correctional
organizations and associations.
Results
of the organizations participating in the survey showed that
the following issues were of great importance to correctional
officers. They are listed here in priority of concern:
1. Privatization
in Corrections
2. Staffing Ratios (inmate-to-officer)
3. Hepatitis C Education, Testing, and Treatment
4. Collective bargaining
5. Legislation Specific to Corrections
6. Training Standards
7. AIDS / HIV Disclosure Laws
8. Equipment Standards
For more
information about the Correctional Officers Committee please
the National Association of Police Organizations, Inc. (NAPO),
750 First Street, N.E., Suite 920, Washington, D.C. 20002,
or call (202) 842-4420.
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