Fresh Intel: The Weekly Roundup
Weekly News Roundup submitted by Ron DeLord
News and commentary impacting police, deputies, corrections, fire, emergency services and public employees throughout the United States. You can access the full article by clicking on the link. Articles are archived on my web page for those searching for information on a particular topic. The posting of an article does NOT reflect my opinion.
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Blue Lives Matter Billboards Spread, Spark Debate
Camillus, N.Y. — Lamar Advertising, a major national billboard company, is courting some controversy with an ad campaign aimed at supporting police. The company, headquartered in Louisiana, has placed more than 300 billboards across the country emblazoned with the slogans like Blue Lives Matter. There’s one by Township 5 in Camillus.
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‘Blue Lives Matter’ Billboards Spark Controversy
Activists intent on bringing an end to violence against African Americans have organized under the banner of “Black Lives Matter,” a protest movement that developed in response to a series of police killings of unarmed black people nationwide. READ MORE
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Rival McKinney Police Associations Headed To Federal Court
A split in the McKinney Police Department is headed to federal court. The McKinney Fraternal Order of Police is suing both the city and the McKinney Police Association. After a difficult summer that included a high-profile case of police misconduct at a pool party for teenagers, the last thing the city and the department needed was an internal fight playing out in the courts.
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Vegas Police Unions Sue Over State Law on Pay for Union Work
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police unions have filed a federal lawsuit claiming the department’s interpretation of a new law about pay for employees doing union work is unconstitutional. At issue is the law that requires unions to pay for any leave taken by employees performing union-specific duties. The unions said it would impact the nine officers who are currently paid their regular salaries and benefits through the department but are dedicated full time to the work of the unions, instead of traditional police work.
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Police Widows to Visit Downing Street in Fight for Pension Change
Widows of police officers are to visit Downing Street to campaign against pension rules they say force some of them into “a life of solitude.” Under current rules in England and Wales, the pensions of thousands of police officers would be cancelled if they died and their spouse later remarried or moved in with a new partner.
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NAACP Hosts Bias Training for New Jersey Police
Police admit training sessions won’t be a cure-all for biases, but dozens of law enforcement organizations have adopted training in fair and impartial policing to help educate officers about the implicit biases that may affect their performance. This week, the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP invited officers to its annual meeting to participate in the program. READ MORE
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Colorado Laws Give Fired Police Officers from Other States a Second Chance
DENVER – Only a criminal conviction on a felony charge or certain misdemeanors automatically bar a police officer from another state from getting hired in law enforcement in Colorado. An officer with a history in other states of lying under oath, past misconduct, even brutality is eligible to find work in Colorado.
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Thurston County Deputies Threaten Lawsuit if Staffing Levels Remain Low
The Thurston County Deputy Sheriff’s Association is threatening to file a complaint against Thurston County, alleging that cuts to the force have resulted in unsafe working conditions. Oregon-based attorney Daryl Garrettson, who represents the association, sent a letter and draft copy of the complaint Monday to county Commission Chairwoman Cathy Wolfe.
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Stamford Police Choose New Union Leader to Hammer Out Long-awaited Contract
STAMFORD — Unable to come to terms with the city over a new contract, Stamford police officers have elected a new union president, their second since 2013. At the close of polling Tuesday, a heavy turnout by the 276-memberStamford Police Association chose major crimes investigator Sean Boeger over two-term union President Todd Lobraico by a wide margin. READ MORE
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Meet the Average Firefighter & Teacher. Retired at 58 and the Cash Value of Pensions
GUEST VIEW Mr. Average was a Chicago firefighter who retired last year. His wife worked outside the home, as in most families today. Ms. Average taught in a Chicago suburban school and she retired last year, too, when both of them were 58 years old. READ MORE
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Interim Proposal to Limit Public Sector Union Dues Sparks Outrage
A proposal by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to have an interim State Senate committee examine whether to continue the practice of allowing teachers and other state employees to continue to have their union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks has sparked anger among Democrats and union leaders, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
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7 Tips for Building a Diverse Police Workforce
The majority of citizens don’t care about the race of the officer who shows up when they call as long as they are treated with respect. However, departments across the country are being pressed to hire workforces that are reflective of the communities they serve.
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The union representing rank and file Portland police officers wants city residents to press the City Council to hire more officers. The Portland Police Association has launched a public relations campaign called “Having Enough Police Matters” that includes an online petition and billboards in various parts of the city intended to convey the message the Portland Police Bureau is understaffed.
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After Years-long Battle, Tenafly Signs Police Contract With No Raises for Three Years
TENAFLY — The borough government has signed a contract with its police union giving no raises for three years and including a scaled-back pay step system requiring officers to work longer to reach maximum pay. The signing ended years of talks and legal battling that reached the state’s highest courts.
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