PBA pros/cons

okay obviously, the way our FOP is it doesn't work. Conflicts of interest from every angle, nobody is united. Bottom line, its not going to change anytime soon. As a new officer, and wanting to protect my family and career, IMMEDIATELY not when the FOP works all there problems out, is the PBA my best option ? I'd like to hear the pro's and con's from the PBA guys in our department? As of yet I haven't heard anything negative about the PBA, outside of double dues I think it is worth every penny...[/i][/b]

Look at it this way, the guys walking around with the gold PBA card in there pockets while they are working have a lawyer just a phone call away 24/7 for any major incident.
Its worth knowing you have support simply because you are a member, not because you've kissed the right a$$. Here are some of the member benefits, go to www.bcpba.org (http://www.bcpba.org) for more information and to sign up.

Membership Benefits:

Legal Assistance For Job-Related Incidents
Discipline
Grievances
Shooting Scenes
Civil Suits
Criminal Actions
IA Investigations
Criminal Justice Standards and Training
Arbitration
Insurance/Death Benefits (line of duty death or injury) - $15,000 disability/$30,000 death benefit
Legislative Representation/Political Action
Education Benefits
Member Discounts
PBA Hope Fund
Prepaid Legal Services

There is one major negative to the PBA:

If you are involved in an incident and you use the PBA you will be forsaking the opportunity to have the FOP President judge your worthiness...


The FOP will defend an officer who allows a murder suspect to flee from our own sallyport after breaking in and fighting one of our own at his house, but they wont get out of bed when an officer gets shot at and has to return fire...

For many reasons, I still think our own FOP is better for us than the County PBA. That being said, I strongly agree with these posts that "the President is unavailable" is the worst kind of excuse for not having support for a brother when he has been in a shooting. Even if it is a lawyer coming to the scene, telling him to not run his mouth right then, and reassuring him that all will be OK/it was a good shoot, it is a good use of our money.

There needs to be some way for that lawyer to be authorized/notified when a shooting happens. Perhaps any member of the Exec Board should be allowed to do it. Perhaps every member should carry a card with the lawyer's 24-hour number on it.

The system can be fixed easily. There is no reason to jump ship unless the Board refuses to fix it. I encourage those who are dissatisfied to goto the meetings, make themselves heard, and run for office. The system can be fixed.

How do fix the fact that the same set of stripes that takes disciplinary action against you is the one sitting on the board of your union ?
Or the lawyer you may need to represent you one day against the city also defends the city ?

The system can be fixed easily. There is no reason to jump ship unless the Board refuses to fix it. I encourage those who are dissatisfied to goto the meetings, make themselves heard, and run for office. The system can be fixed.

No one in this post has suggested jumping ship. We are discussing adding the PBA to do the job the FOP refuses to do.

The FOP has refused to fix this problem. It has been brought up at a tone of meeting, has been researched with the state lodge and has always come back to "we don’t want to go down that road"... All we have a minute amount of money in our legal fund and a promise from an uninterested non-criminal attorney.

You are correct though the system can be fixed. The FOP has made the choice not to fix it. If there is only 8 other people eligible for president then I say: VOTE FOR MURPH!

http://www.foplodge42.com/index.php?categoryid=11


ARTICLE 8
IMPEACHMENT
SECTION 1. Any elective officer may be impeached for the infringement of the provisions of Constitution and By-Laws, or for any personal conduct that may reflect discredit upon the Lodge.

SECTION 2. Charges for the impeachment of an officer may be initiated by any member in good standing or a Complaint Committee appointed by the President, and shall be presented in writing before the membership at a regular session for final action. The accused officer shall be given a copy of the charges against him and notified of thesession at which, his trial will be held, not less than ten (10) days prior.


Does "conduct that may reflect discredit upon the Lodge" mean writting a fellow member an unlawful NTA? Does it mean refusing to show up to police shootings because they sounds okay?

http://www.foplodge42.com/index.php?categoryid=11


ARTICLE 8
IMPEACHMENT
SECTION 1. Any elective officer may be impeached for the infringement of the provisions of Constitution and By-Laws, or for any personal conduct that may reflect discredit upon the Lodge.

SECTION 2. Charges for the impeachment of an officer may be initiated by any member in good standing or a Complaint Committee appointed by the President, and shall be presented in writing before the membership at a regular session for final action. The accused officer shall be given a copy of the charges against him and notified of thesession at which, his trial will be held, not less than ten (10) days prior.


Does "conduct that may reflect discredit upon the Lodge" mean writting a fellow member an unlawful NTA? Does it mean refusing to show up to police shootings because they sounds okay?

How is this ok when a member of the board is currently hunting officers through I.A. investigations, can anyone explain this to me?

How is this ok when a member of the board is currently hunting officers through I.A. investigations, can anyone explain this to me?[/quote]

You have to be more specific, more than one member of the board is hunting officers right now, probably to draw attention away from themselves... don't ya think ?

Uncle Fester is no longer on the board.

Uncle Fester is no longer on the board.


Now thats F-ing funny :lol: