On July 14, 1999, the House Subcommittee on Ways and Means approved HR 2488, the "Financial Freedom Act of 1999," introduced by Congressman Bill Archer (R-TX). NAPO has successfully lobbied to include provisions beneficial to law enforcement in this huge tax cut package that is due to come to the House floor. The Senate is currently working on their tax package, now in the Senate Finance Committee. NAPO worked with Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and his staff to add an amendment to HR 2488 which would exempt survivors of officers killed in the line of duty from paying taxes on death benefits, regardless of when an officer was killed. NAPO would like to thank Congressman Jim Ramstad and his staff for their hard work to include this provision in Congressman Archer's tax-cut proposal.

The final report on HR 2488 is due to be released shortly and after review of the legislation, NAPO will keep members abreast of all of the provisions included in the tax-cut package.

ANNOUNCING THE 1999 NAPO TOP COPS®   ALASKA Trooper Barry Croy, Alaska Department Public Safety; Division of State Troopers CALIFORNIA Officer Andy Azodi, Officer Jude Bella, Officer Ryan Clark, Officer Chris Dunn, Officer Kevin J. Foster, Officer Craig Schofield Hewitt and Officer Chris Yzaguirre, Los Angeles Police Department CONNECTICUT Trooper First Class Michael Allard, Trooper Michael J. Hoague, Trooper Mark Pelletier and Trooper First Class James E. Reidy, Jr., Connecticut State Police   ILLINOIS Sergeant James McMullin, Chicago Police Department MICHIGAN Officer James Henry Lightfoot, Jr., Lieutenant Arthur McNamara, Sergeant Michael Stefani, Officer Gasper Rossi, Officer Steven Louis Sosa and Sergeant James Tolbert, Detroit Police Department MISSOURI Officer Rebecca Caton, Sergeant Steven Gumm, Officer Shawn Hamre, Sergeant Billy Paul Miller, Officer Henry Castañeda Peña, Officer Roy W. Wedlow, Jr. and Sergeant Terry R. White, St. Joseph Police Department NEW JERSEY Sergeant Heriberto Carattini, Jersey City Police Department NEW YORK Detective Karl Skip Mannain, City of Poughkeepsie Police Department RHODE ISLAND Patrol Sergeant Michael A. Calenda and Officer Thomas H. Dolan, Johnston Police Department WASHINGTON, D.C. Officer Kevin J. Nieves and Officer Robert Louis Freeman, III, United States Park Police Join us for the Sixth Annual TOP COPS Awards®  Friday, October 22, 1999, Hilton Washington & Towers, Washington, D.C.  A Table of 10 for NAPO Member Organizations is $3,000; Individual Tickets are $300  Call the NAPO Office for More Information (800) 322-6276

1999 Honorable Mention TOP COP Awards® Winners

• WYOMING – Patrolman Thomas Stoker, Wyoming Highway Patrol

NAPO has asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to block passage of HR 1658, the "Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act," which passed the House of Representatives on June 24, 1999. HR 1658, if passed into law, would limit police powers and inhibit the ability of law enforcement officers to seize property such as cash, securities, cars, boats and real estate. Currently, in order for law enforcement to seize property there must be ‘probable cause;’ however, HR 1658 would require that law enforcement prove by ‘clear and convincing evidence’ that the property was used in illegal activities – setting the bar very high. NAPO is supporting the standard of ‘a preponderance of evidence’, among other changes. We will continue to keep you updated on the outcome of this legislation. See enclosed letter to Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. Similar letters were sent to all of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.