The State of the FOP (My humble opinion)

[Rich B]

Please accept my apologies in advance for the length of this post. There is some history that needs to be explored to truly explain what is happening with my involvement with the FOP. Many of you have called or emailed with your lack of faith in the FOP. I swore that I would research the situation and the alternatives and then make an informed decision.

I also swore that I would wait until after the golf tournament so I would not draw attention away from Timmie and her needs. The tournament wrapped up yesterday. Many thanks to Kevin and Dan and others who worked so hard. Kevin especially put in a tremendous amount of time and effort!

Some of you may see this as an attempt to derail the current FOP board. I am simply pointing out what I’ve seen with my own eyes the last few months and what I personally plan to do. I urge you to do your own research, ask your own questions and make your own decisions based on facts and not emotion.

I’ve been an FOP member since 1988 but, sadly, never attended a meeting until 3 years ago. Stan G. invited me one night and I took him up on the offer. The food was great but there were very few members in attendance. The actual meeting took very little time and very few items of any substance were discussed. I was a bit disappointed in the process.

I attended several more meetings and became frustrated at the lack of information being forwarded to members. The general attitude seemed to be “show up at the meetings and you’ll know what’s going on”. I disagreed with this philosophy and attempted to get information to the members the only way I knew how, this very forum. The response was overwhelming. Members called, emailed and stopped me in the halls of the SAB to thank me.

Fast forward to a few months back when Commissioner Latvala spoke at the lodge about the Sheriff’s lack of planning, refusal to use certain funds to prevent layoffs etc. I took what I thought were good notes, posted them here, got called up to the 3rd floor, and briefly got stuck in the middle of the battle. The Sheriff and Chief were more than willing to share facts about the budget situation, which was then passed on via this forum. Again, member response was very positive.

I attended another FOP meeting a few weeks after the layoffs. I had heard from several folks who were at the meeting with Car 1 and Car 2 when the layoffs were announced and they were upset that no one from the FOP was there at the meeting, nor did anyone from the FOP later speak to the media about the situation. At the FOP meeting I asked why no one from the FOP was at the meeting when the layoffs were announced. The reply, “What good would it have done?” I bit my tongue and realized it was time to get involved.

I did some very deep soul searching over the next few weeks. I thought of canceling my membership with the FOP and either joining the PBA or obtaining prepaid legal. I also thought of becoming a critic, a whiner, a malcontent. Call it what you will. And then it hit me. I just needed to get involved, to help. How could I possibly ***** and moan about the job the FOP was doing when I couldn’t be bothered to get off my ass and become part of the solution?

I offered to become the Lodge spokesman. To get the word out to the members, the community and most importantly to the press. The media. Yes the media. My thought was simple. We don’t have much bite as a Union, not like the unions of the north. We would need to have some bark. We would need to garner the support of the public via the media.

I approached Dan C. with the idea. He liked it but wanted to run it by the other board members. After a few weeks I received a call from Chaplain Bodie that the board had voted and approved my request. 1st project, the golf tournament to benefit Timmie Keyser and her family.

One of the 1st things I did, after posting the news on this forum, was reach out to PCSO PIO Jim B. I’ve known him a long time and know that he gives well over 100% to any job he’s ever done here at the agency. I wanted him to be aware of my position and welcomed any advice he had. While on the 3rd floor I also had a chance to speak briefly with Car 1 and Car 2. Anyone who knows me knows I’m more than happy to put an open door policy to good use.

That same night, around 1230 PM I got a message on my cell phone from Lodge VP Kevin J. The gist of the message was that he was getting phone calls from members about the post on LEO Affairs, that he heard I was speaking to Car 1 and Car 2 and that if I continued to “freelance” and “go wild” he would have to “cancel those possibilities” in regards to my spokesman position. He went on tell in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to speak with the Sheriff or the Chief unless I had permission from he or Dan.

After my blood pressure dropped to an acceptable level I did a bit more soul searching. I realized that the members deserved to be informed and that the Golf Tournament for Timmie was the #1 priority. It wasn’t about me, and it wasn’t about Kevin. I never returned his call and chose to deal with Dan, who was very supportive of my position.

That same day I called the PBA and had them mail me a membership application. I put it on my desk in hopes I would not need it.

Several other things developed between Kevin and I over the next few weeks that don’t need to be posted here. Nothing good will come of it. Suffice it to say that, like many of you, we won’t be exchanging Holiday cards anytime soon.

If you’ve read this far I applaud you. You may be thinking that Kevin and I just don’t get along and we should deal with it like grown ups. You’re absolutely right. However, there are 1400 members of the FOP who deserve better. And from the dozens and dozens of calls and emails I’ve gotten over the last few weeks I would have to say I’m not the only one having a similar problem with board members. There are several other instances that I’ve chosen to not post here. I don’t feel it’s appropriate and nothing good will come of it.

The city bid situation seems to have been the proverbial straw that has caused the camel to seek chiropractic treatment. Many, many of you have contacted me to ask why no one from the FOP has returned your phone calls or emails. A select few, usually those with less than 5 years on, actually received a response. Some were kind enough to forward those responses to me. A sample is below:

“When the representatives meet, we take into account several factors. We want to ensure compliance of the contract, agency policy and members benefits. Also, we negotiate the issues first and after the Sheriff’s representatives and the FOP representatives tentatively agree, we bring it to the membership for ratification. We don’t ask the membership to vote on every issue prior to the tentative agreement. The shift bidding issue is still being reviewed and needs to be further explored.”

Many of you said that it would be quite simple to ask the entire membership what they feel the re-openers should be. You didn’t think it was fair that a few deputies would affect the entire membership. You even gave examples of how things were run at other agencies. I applaud you for trying to be part of the solution.

For those that were told “We don’t care how you did it at St. Pete” or “If you like it so well at the PBA why don’t you return” I’m sorry. I truly am. I can actually share with you the reality of how some re-openers come to be. A situation that I witnessed at a recent meeting left me shaking my head.

A senior member who was recovering from surgery and had other health issues was concerned about passing his PAT. At the end of the meeting Dan asked if anyone had new business. Said member raises his hand and asked when the FOP is going to raise hell about the extra 220-yard dash added to the PAT. He goes on to say that he’s concerned he won’t pass and may eventually lose his job. Said member says he wants the FOP to fix the situation.

Here’s the best part. They start talking about how it may have to be a re-opener next time. One guy, afraid he might, key word might, not pass the PAT and it’s being considered momentarily as a re-opener.

I went over to said member; spoke to him a few minutes. I’ve known him for years. He’s an awesome cop and will always be there for you, always. He was genuinely concerned about losing his job if he couldn’t pass the PAT. But he had yet to even run it! I asked Stan G if he would be able to let him try his hand at the PAT during the week. Stan, being the stand up guy that he is, said certainly.

I saw said member at this months meeting. He ran the PAT time to spare. Re-opener averted, this time. My point is this; I agree with all of you that say we need a better way to decide as a membership what re-openers should be. An online, secure website where we can log in and vote. Slips of paper in our mailboxes. Letters mailed home, something other than a guy raising his hand at a meeting and possibly affecting the entire membership!

Many of you know Lou Gomes. Due to a medical condition Lou was forced to retire. Lou did not wish to accept a civilian position and merely wanted to be able to truly retire instead of terminating his employment. Lou has been an FOP member for some time and started his LEO career in Hillsborough County. Very, very few people even knew about Lou’s leaving and I called him as soon as I heard about it.

Lou was very disappointed in the treatment he received from the 3rd floor and did what many of you would do; he called the FOP. After explaining his situation he was told “Gee, sounds like you should hire an attorney.” Anyone who knows Lou knows that he doesn’t rock the boat or demand things. He hung up the phone and went about his business. He eventually turned in his gear and focused on his business and getting on with his life. His words to me…”I thought that’s why I paid to be a member of the FOP, I thought they would try to help me.” Me too Lou, me too.

Many of you will remember that the FOP was recently thrilled with the fact that off duty employment rates were raised $5 an hour. You’ll also remember that during negotiations they had asked for off duty pay to be part of our retirement. When the $5 an hour raise was quickly offered my BS meter immediately went off. Why suddenly were they offering something so quickly when everything else takes 10 meetings and 6 months to get straight? I personally tried to contact FRS to get a copy of the memo that was mentioned as the reason we couldn’t have off duty pay as part of our pension. Seemed like a logical 1st step to me, gather the evidence that was mentioned, surely someone at the lodge was already doing this, right?

FRS took their time getting back to me. I got a call from a member recently. He had gotten a copy of the memo, and several others. He was going to send them to the lodge and also wanted me to have them. Guess what? FRS is neutral! They could care less if we get off duty pay added to our pension. It’s up the each individual agency. Any idea how many folks could have had a much larger pension check over the years? The FOP never checked on the memo or verified what it truly said! A guy who got curious called BS and he was right.

So you ask, what am I going to do now that I’ve seen what, in my opinion, what a total disorganized mess the FOP has become? I thought the answer was pretty simple. I was going to put my PBA packet in the mail. Many of you I spoke with had also gotten a membership packet. The biggest reason I belong to the FOP is to have an attorney show up if and when I get into a shooting or an IA right?

I’ve already been to the PBA, spoke to the attorney, seen how it’s run. I gotta tell you, I like it a lot.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve personally had Ken defend me on an IA involving a use of force allegation. He showed up, guided me, spoke on my behalf and the end result was total exoneration. It was a great feeling having him there and I thank him for his efforts. But it wasn’t a shooting. No one was trying to sue me; no one wanted me taken before a grand jury etc. I’ve spoken to several CAP Detectives from several agencies and asked them just how good Ken is at a shooting scene. Funny thing, none of them had much good to say.

So now, after some research I discover that the true reason I continue to stay with the FOP isn’t exactly what it’s cracked up to be. Gee Rich, you must be headed out the door right??? Not yet, and I’ll tell you why. I ran into Jack last night.

I got to the lodge last night for the dinner after the cancelled golf portion of the tournament. Figured I would shake Dan and Kevin’s hand, thank them for the opportunity to make a difference for Timmie and her family, turn in my cool FOP Polo shirt and ride off into the sunset, ready to try out the PBA.

I was headed out to the Jeep to grab something and Jack Peterson was walking in through the door. Kevin had told me a few months back that he was hoping to bring Jack on as treasurer if & when Kevin was elected President of the lodge.

I took a moment and asked Jack if he was still going to run for treasurer. “Nope, President” replied Jack. What? Huh? Yup, president….of the lodge. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. I’ve known Jack for more than 20 years. His word is good. He plans on running for Lodge President. He’s sick of the way things are run, tired of the way negotiations are being handled, ashamed of the direction the lodge has taken, and he’s ready to do something about it.

I can see the light folks, and it’s no train. If you don’t know Jack, ask around. He’s a smart guy, gets along well with folks. Doesn’t rub people the wrong way. Ran his own business for years, understands what it will take to get the FOP back on track.

After the dinner, when everything had calmed down and most folks were gone, I spoke to Kevin. I shook his hand, told him he did a great job organizing the tournament. (And he did.) And then I told him that I had spoken to Jack. Told him that I was going to support Jack in his bid for the post. That it was nothing personal, just business, and in my opinion, best for the lodge and it’s members. He stared at me for a moment and then uttered just four words. “You’re only one vote”.

So…..Here’s what happens next. Members throw their hat in the ring next month. Jack Peterson’s name will be on the ballot. You’ll get a ballot in the mail. Fill it out and send it in. I’m not telling you how to vote. I’m telling you that you have a choice to make. If you feel I’m full of crap and want to see the FOP remain as it is, vote that way. Makes no difference to me. I personally have nothing to gain and I’m not running for a spot on the board, any spot. I would love to stay on as spokesman and maybe even a rep, and called Dan last night after my conversation with Kevin and offered to remain lodge spokesman; to help out any way I could even though I support Jack. We’ll see.

Some of you will say, but what about the attorney that CAP isn’t too thrilled with at shooting scenes?

Some of you may remember a Deputy who worked here for about 10 years named Rob Green. We called him Robo Cop back in the day. Great cop. He left many years ago, went to law school (Michigan I think) and now runs a large firm up in Pasco. He represented the PBA over in Daytona. He’s familiar with negotiations and would be able to hit the ground running. Would Ken stay on in some capacity? I don’t know. That would be up to you and the board.

Some of you may be asking why I even take the time to deal with this mess. I’ve got no dog in the fight. I’ve got no good reason to take the time to get involved, stay up till 1am writing this mess. My reason was with me at the lodge last night. He’s 2. He loves Diego, Baseball and his Dad.

I need to show him, by example, that it’s OK to stand up for what’s right. It wasn’t comfortable speaking to Kevin last night. I didn’t have to tell him what I did, but it was the right thing to do. I could have just shown my support for Jack and never said a word to Kevin or Dan. That’s not the right way to do business.

I looked around the lodge last night and saw some great old pictures and memorabilia dating back to the mid 80-s. Men and women of character and commitment looked out from those pictures. Some still show up once a month to drink a beer and talk about how Squad 1 used to be, back in the day. The lodge was once a thing of pride.

We owe it to the folks in the photos to bring it back. I owe it to my son to stand up for what’s right, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. And, most importantly, we owe it to the members to bring back fairness and equity in things that affect them, no matter how long they’ve been a member.

Now some of you may say we need a clean sweep, get rid of everyone. Start all over. Personally, I feel that Frank, Mark and Mike are good reps and have things to offer to the lodge and the members. Karl from SPPD is an awesome guy also and very quick to respond to the needs of the members. And I actually love Kevin’s drive and determination. Most importantly, I would go in through a door with him on a hot call. That is the ultimate compliment I can pay Kevin. However, I feel Jack will more effectively lead the lodge. My opinion, and mine only.

And if Jack is not elected President? The PBA application is still on my desk.

Remember, you’re just one vote!

Semper Fi,

Rich

Rich@FOP43.org

PeoplePlacesThings@tampabay.rr.com (Just in case.)

Or feel free to fire up the cell. It’s on SONET.

Jack Peterson is definitely part of the "old guard", a stand up guy who does the right thing. He's got my vote.

JACK HAS MY VOTE. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS ABOUT HIM.

I know Jack perosnally as well. Great guy, great supervisor, and great leader. I may be just one vote according to current FOP board members, but I am one more vote for Jack. :cop:

Wow if this isn't a set up! Cards played long ago.....but who are the real players of the game?

Suddenly Rich and Jack have a vested interest in our futures? Where have they been?

I have a different theory....

....Jack is tight with Coats and Car 2. Jack is tight with Rob Green. Rob Green is tight with Car 2. Rich, who has always run amok at the mouth but never got involved, is now tight with Jack.

What's the future? Jack running the union. Rob Green the union attorney. Jack will get promoted to Lt for being the "inside man". And all four of them making decisions about your future over lunch while Rich serves the food in his PBA shirt. Very scary!

[Rich B]

Wow if this isn't a set up! Cards played long ago.....but who are the real players of the game?

Suddenly Rich and Jack have a vested interest in our futures? Where have they been?

I have a different theory....

....Jack is tight with Coats and Car 2. Jack is tight with Rob Green. Rob Green is tight with Car 2. Rich, who has always run amok at the mouth but never got involved, is now tight with Jack.

What's the future? Jack running the union. Rob Green the union attorney. Jack will get promoted to Lt for being the "inside man". And all four of them making decisions about your future over lunch while Rich serves the food in his PBA shirt. Very scary!

Rich has been working a full time job, running a business, raising his son and taking care of his family. He got fed up after seeing this mess for the last few months. Car 1 actually showed up at the lodge last night. I told him that Jack was running for the President post and he seemed pleasantly surprised. He had no clue; that's how "tight" Jack is with him.

I had no idea until last night that Jack was even considering running. Jack called me about an hour ago to thank me for the initial post. That's the 1st time in about 6 months, outside of last night, that Rich has even heard from Jack. I had a question about 6 months ago and had to call Jack to see if he knew the answer. It was work related. Jack and I played golf together about 10 years ago when we were both in the SRO Unit. Other than saying hello at the gas pumps or seeing him when he came through for in-service a couple years ago, Rich hasn't seen him much. If you knew me other than your "run amok at the mouth" comment (which is accurate by the way) you would know that I usually don't associate with anyone from the S.O. outside of work.

All I ask is that you stay informed and vote for what's right for you. If you're happy with the current FOP, vote accordingly. And lastly, if the FOP has some healthy change in the near future Rich won't be wearing a PBA shirt!

Stay safe,

Rich

How do you get anything done when your on here all day? Just kidding keep up the good work

Rich's heart is in the right place. He is a decent person and an excellent Deputy. I just had in-service wth him, and Rich is all about unity and helping each other out. There is nothing that Rich would not do for a fellow Deputy.... period. There is no clandestine underlying meaning to his post other than to, in plain English, make things better at work for everyone.

It is a conspiracy. It's the guy on the grassy knoll behind all this. The FOP and PBA are acutally covert organizations for the FDLE, FBI, CIA, NSA, BSA, OMB, GSA, and the biggy....ABCDEFG. Plus the Men in Black.

And if Jack is not elected President? The PBA application is still on my desk.

Your Neutural? Yea Right