PubSecAlliance is a growing online community of union and association leaders from groups representing sworn personnel in law enforcement agencies in the U.S., Canada and around the world. It is not a formal organization. There is no president or board of directors. Our mission is simply to provide a space for you to communicate with your colleagues about your most pressing concerns, while informing you about the issues that matter to you most.
If Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the foundation of public union funding — the ability to collect compulsory dues — could crumble. Harris v. Quinn is a case started by eight home-care workers who resisted joining a state union — and paying the corresponding union dues — in Illinois. Unionization was a […]
Some police associations may offer “stop smoking” programs for members. The latest Surgeon General’s report on the health effects of smoking offers astonishing new evidence of just how much harm tobacco is causing. It turns out that cigarette smoking kills even more Americans than previously estimated (about 480,000 a year, up from 443,000), and is […]
A man wanted in connection with an assault, posts the Department’s wanted info on his Facebook page. Result: moron is arrested 30 minutes later. In Pennsylvania, the Freeland Police Department was searching for James Lescowitch wanted in connection with an assault on a man in July last year. Three minutes after the agency posted a […]
Ft. Worth POA has already filed a lawsuit claiming the changes violate Texas Constitution After more than a year of negotiations, the Fort Worth City Council has unanimously approved a resolution outlining cuts in pension benefits for firefighters. The firefighters must decide if they will sue the city before the changes take effect Oct. 1. […]
Some police associations use more aggressive tactics to protect the job and benefits. A drive by some American cities to cut costly police retirement benefits has led to an extraordinary face-off between local politicians and the law enforcement officers who work for them. In Costa Mesa, California, lawmaker Jim Righeimer says he was a target […]
Sometimes it seems like technology is advancing at an exponential rate – a little bit faster every day. The internet has allowed us to exchange information at a rapidly increasing pace (for better or worse), and it’s allowed your average Joe to have a platform that, fifty years ago, he wouldn’t have had without a […]
The Koch brothers, John Arnold, Pete Peterson and the rest of the crew must be celebrating over this one. Following on the heels of the disastrous decision of Boeing to flip their employees out of a defined benefit pension into a 401(k), Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, will introduce legislation that would offer […]
Nobody on the planet has a more interesting job than a law enforcement officer. Every day you are in the ring, struggling with people during the most dramatic moments of their lives. And there’s all the funny things that happen too – stuff people would not believe unless they were there. If you are not […]
21 foundations have kicked in millions to support higher pay and better working conditions As America’s labor unions have lost members and clout, new types of worker advocacy groups have sprouted nationwide, and they have started to get on businesses’ nerves — protesting low wages at Capital Grille restaurants, for instance, and demonstrating outside […]
Pensions are just part of the problem. Health care is another dark cloud circling. As state and local governments focus on how to fix their pension problems, a recent report demonstrates the dramatic measures large American cities will have to take to address another issue: woefully underfunded retiree health-care liabilities. According to Charles Chieppo, a […]
Effort requires coordination between hundreds of agencies, thousands of police officers and security guards, and lots of technology As is the case for other major sporting events, securing the Super Bowl is a complex and nerve-racking task that involves the coordination of many law enforcement agencies, the use of technologies like cameras and radiation […]
This is a well written and must read opinion piece by Jacky Parks, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association educating the public as to the impact of the “Reed Amendment” that would eliminate the state constitutional guarantee protecting vested pension rights. It is critical that public employee unions stay engaged in a public […]
In New York City a lawsuit filed by the Sergeants and Patrol Officers unions charging that mandatory Breathalyzer tests for officers who had used their guns violated collective bargaining agreements has been tossed out. The policy was adopted in 2008 after the Sean Bell shooting in Queens where one detective—who never used his weapon– had […]
Hats off to the Ford Foundation, the Kresge Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, among others who have pledged to pool $330 million, which would essentially relieve the city-owned Detroit Institute of Arts museum of its responsibility to sell some of its collection to help Detroit pay its $18 billion […]
Submitted by Ron DeLord The Omaha police union is facing criticism for posting a video online of a toddler being cursed at and being encouraged to curse. Union officials say they wanted to stimulate discussion about problems in the community and show what officers encounter. Critics say there better ways to do that without […]
Environmental police officers do an outstanding job with the resources at their disposal. But sometimes the scale of the crime, accident or emergency is more than any local law enforcement agency can handle. What do we really mean when we invoke the term “public safety?” Like a lot of terms that we think we understand, […]
Great victory in a key state occurred when after endless defeats the Koch brothers decided to pack up and move elsewhere. Make sure they get the same welcome in your city or town. Read more.
Hey, we can all agree more transparency is probably a good thing. But announcing a law enforcement officer’s termination on Twitter? That may be going a little too far. Here’s a sample of a Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown Tweet about a fired officer: I have terminated 911 Call Taker Moises […]
Any time a city council, manager or mayor says you have not paid your fair share to help ease your city, town or county’s ongoing financial crisis, here’s some ammunition to fight back. It turns out that you have been paying a lot more out of your own pocket for the same level […]
You could hear the enthusiasm in Jim Christie’s voice as he announced to his members that they would be getting a raise of 8.55 percent in their next paycheck. Both civilian and sworn OPPA employees will start receiving the increase beginning with the pay period than ends on January 16. The pay hike will be […]
The Ontario Provincial Police Association has been a leader when it comes to developing positive public relations. This moving video is just one of several they have produced to establish closer relations with the community. If your association has done something similar send the link to cynthia@pubsecalliance.com and we’ll pass it around.
PubSecAlliance is a growing online community of union and association leaders from groups representing sworn personnel in law enforcement agencies in the U.S., Canada and around the world. It is
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Whoever said, “A few bad apples can bring the whole place down” knew what they were talking about. Here’s one story that certainly reinforces the that notion. According to The Boston Globe, 20 Massachuetts State Troopers are being investigated for theft of overtime pay. Reporters Mark Arsenault, Travis Andersen, and Shelley Murphy write: “In another black […]
When is Police “Use of Force” Justified?
It seems like every law enforcement agency is grappling with changes in use-of-force policies, which are too often implemented by people that are not familiar at all with the complicated, risky, and high-pressure world of law enforcement, especially when it comes to the use of deadly force. The press conference you are about to watch […]
FBI Will Not Investigate Detective’s Homicide
The FBI won’t be taking over an investigation into the homicide of a Baltimore city detective who was slain amid a corruption investigation. Detective Sean Suiter was shot in the head with his own weapon on Nov. 15, a day before he was to testify before a federal grand jury investigating wrongdoing by fellow officers […]
The Madison Police Department in Wisconsin is making some changes to its policies on the use of deadly force. According to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal, the changes come after several law suits against the city were successful with payouts in the millions. “When it comes to the rules our police officers are trained […]
Via the Chicago Tribune: On his first full day as president of Chicago’s largest police union, Officer Kevin Graham appeared at a news conference to address reporters seeking details of his plan for leading the embattled rank-and-file of the police force. With cameras and reporters ready at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge in the […]
No matter how you feel about Donald Trump, this bit from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will leave you laughing.
Deputy Martha Lohnes of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina has responded to some weird 911 calls, but this one takes the cake. Aaliyah Ryan is just two years old. But she knew enough to call 911 when she was having a problem. The dispatcher told Deputy Lohnes that it sounded like a […]
In this section we will bring you articles, videos and pictures that make it obvious who needs a union – we all do. When employees have the right to sit
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