NAPO CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY
 
WASHINGTON, DC  -  The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) announced today a significant anniversary milestone.  Founded in 1978, NAPO is celebrating its 20th anniversary serving as a watchdog organization for the rights of the nation’s law enforcement officers.

 NAPO was founded after the disolvement of the International Conference of Police Associations by former members of that group who wished to provide a unified voice for law enforcement at the Federal level with affordable dues.  NAPO’s founding philosophy still holds true today, “nobody can represent police officers like police officers.”  NAPO’s headquarters transferred under each NAPO president until 1992, when NAPO hired its first Executive Director, Robert T. Scully, and opened a full-time office in Washington, DC.

 “It’s hard to believe that 20 years have gone by,” said Robert T. Scully.  “Throughout the years, our open-door policy with the Administration and Congress has enabled us to truly serve as law enforcement’s voice in Washington, DC.  There is absolutely nothing more important to us than protecting our nation’s police,” said Scully.
   With just a relative handful of police organization members at its founding, NAPO has now grown to over 4,000 police unions and associations, 250,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 3,000 retired officers and more than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control and law enforcement.

 “Its amazing how much we’ve grown,” said NAPO’s president, Thomas J. Scotto.  “Officers understand the need to have a lobbying effort on a national basis that unites thousands of officers throughout the country to achieve increased rights and benefits for every officer.  Without the presence of organizations such as NAPO, benefits and rights for officers on a national level would probably not exist,” continued Scotto.

 In 1991, NAPO had established its sister 501 (c)(3) research and education organization, the Police Research and Education Project (PREP).  Then, in 1994, NAPO opened the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Rights Center, the first legal support center established to help law enforcement officers deal with the increase of litigation sweeping through the law enforcement community.  The Rights Center has filed four amicus curiae briefs on behalf of law enforcement officers to the U.S. Supreme Court, federal district courts and state appellate courts.

 In October 1994, NAPO held its first annual TOP COPS Awards® ceremony in Washington, DC.  NAPO presents the TOP COPS Awards® annually to sworn law enforcement officers from across the country who are nominated by their peers for outstanding service.  Notable participants have included President Clinton, Vice President Gore, John Walsh, host of “America’s Most Wanted,” Lynne Russell of CNN’s “Headline News,” Richard Belzer of NBC’s “Homicide:  Life on the Street,” S. Epatha Merkerson of NBC’s “Law & Order,” many other Hollywood celebrities and members of Congress.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Police Research and Education Project (PREP), Concerns of Police Survivors and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.  NAPO lobbied hard for the establishment of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and continues to serve on its Board of Directors.  Through its membership, NAPO has raised over $1,000,000 for the Memorial.

 NAPO worked tirelessly towards the passage of the 1994 Crime Bill which increased the number of officers on the street and heightened anti-crime measures.  “Without NAPO’s involvement, the Crime Bill would probably not have passed,”  said Scotto.

 NAPO has had countless other legislative victories over the years on behalf of the nations’ police, including the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 which contained language allowing for federal tax-free survivor benefits for public safety officers killed in the line of duty, the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 which included important revisions to Internal Revenue Code Section 415 providing protection for public sector employees’ retirement benefits, and to Section 457 increasing the amount public employees can contribute to their 457 deferred compensation plan and protecting worker monies from employer abuse.

 Also among NAPO’s legislative victories are the Source Tax Bill of 1996 which prohibits states from taxing the retirement income of former residents whose pensions were earned in that state and 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 $141,556.

 NAPO also fought hard for effective and equitable provisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Amendments of 1985, which implemented the United States Supreme Court’s decision in the Garcia case, and upheld the constitutionally of FLSA to non-Federal public employees.

 During the late 1970s, NAPO was successful in beating back the efforts of Congress and the Administration to implement mandatory social security on all public sector employees in their attempt to save the weakening system.

 Long-time NAPO supporters and current legislative consultants, Jules Bernstein and Linda Lipsett said this of NAPO, “Having been a part of NAPO and having watched it grow to its present size and influence over the past twelve years has been a wonderful experience for us.  It demonstrates what can be accomplished when a few committed and dedicated people make up their mind to get something done and then go ahead and do it.  The officers on the street are lucky to have NAPO looking out for them.”

 “When I started working with NAPO in 1979, the level of awareness of law enforcement issues in Congress was virtually non-existent.  Congress had virtually no understanding of how the laws that they passed affected the average cop on the street.  NAPO’s success has been phenomenal.  Over the years, NAPO’s credibility and success has forced Congress to understand and address the issues that affect police,” said Ira Lechner, NAPO’s first legislative counsel.

 “With the combined support of our member organizations, NAPO will continue to fight for legislation that is truly going to benefit individual police officers -- including matters involving pension and benefits and officers’ legal and legislative rights.  We will always be here looking out for the rights of law enforcement officers -- our dedication is permanent,” said Scully.
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