Fraternal Order of Police

PAYROLL OVERTIME

February 22, 2012

Greetings,

As you know your FOP has been closely monitoring the miscalculation in overtime pay that arose at the beginning of the year when the new citywide payroll system was launched.  Your FOP leadership team has expressed great concern related to this matter since that time and provided a written update to our membership on February 8, 2012.

During this time, representatives from the FOP and our legal team met with representatives from the City including the Office of Corporation Counsel and the Chief of Police.  As a result of that meeting, the City agreed there is in fact a serious miscalculation error which is affecting many within our membership.  Subsequently an emergency meeting was scheduled with the programmers of the system yesterday, February 21, 2012.

During the emergency meeting, the FOP outlined the financial shortfalls and it was determined the programmers had been directed to utilize FLSA standards and calculate overtime for any hours over 171 instead of the agreed upon contractual variable of 160 hours, otherwise known as gap overtime.

Due to the FOP’s due diligence and persistence in this matter, the City has agreed to correct the discrepancy and abide by the Labor Agreement.  However, this correction will not be in place before the next payroll checks are issued beginning Friday February 24, 2012.  We are very hopeful to have the matter corrected and the payroll shortages caught up by the first check in March.

Obviously this is a very frustrating process and the FOP recognizes our members expect to be compensated for commitment and service to their community. Like all working professionals we expect to be treated fairly and equitably.

This misstep by the City once again proves the value of having police officers represent police officers.  The police officers of Indianapolis and the members of the Fraternal Order of Police are professional subject matter experts within the Law Enforcement and Public Safety arena and had it not been for the expertise and professionalism of our membership, our public safety guardians would have continued to have been shortchanged.  Once again, the purpose of our Labor Agreement has allowed us to promote orderly and peaceful labor relations for the mutual interest of the City, the employees and the FOP.

Fraternally,

William R. Owensby

President

Greetings,

As you are aware, our membership has correctly identified a miscalculation in the OT rate paid by the city since January 1.  We are diligently working on a remedy which obviously involves the city adhering to  the contract. The city is aware of the issue and we at the FOP are awaiting a response to an email where we have identified the problem and asked for a timeline for correction.  Please know that this issue, like any other, will receive prompt and focused attention from your FOP.  In our opinion, the issue is clear and the solution is clear. We will keep you apprised of the issue as  it progresses.  Please pass this information on to your peers.  Remember to check www.fop86.org regularly for updates and information on numerous issues we are working on.

Fraternally,

Bill Owensby

January 26, 2012

Dear FOP Member,

I would like to take this opportunity to provide some updates on the relationship between the Fraternal Order of Police and the current administration. By “current administration, I am referring to the Director of Public Safety and the Chief of Police.

On January 25^th, 2012, I met with Chief Ciesielski at his request to discuss “administration and moving forward issues”. As the meeting began, the Chief advised me that he was removing the ability of the FOP to utilize the Outlook email system for any types of communications between the FOP and its members.

As a bit of history, I was able to secure an FOP86 email address while working with Chief Spears. We had a “professional agreement” that the email wouldn’t be used in a confrontational or polarizing way. I have always abided by that agreement. The Chief held up the email dated 1/19/12 and made a reference to the comments that I had made: “I asked the entire Rucklaw firm to drop what they were doing in an effort to look at all of the issues and to make sure, again, that our rights are being protected”. He then said that those comments sounded confrontational. I then reminded him that the info provided by the attorneys, which was posted on the FOP website advised that the department wasn’t doing anything illegal on their directives regarding OT and trade days off. He acknowledged that fact but still insisted he was utilizing an “Executive Order” to revoke email privileges of the FOP. I reminded him of all of the emails that I have sent out since he had been Chief, where I encouraged officers to remain professional, watch their driving, watch what they put on the social media sites, and to keep striving to reduce violent crime, etc. None of that mattered.

We began discussing manpower allocation for the super bowl detail and manpower minimums. When I expressed concern for citizen’s safety as well as officer safety due to the lack of staffing, he replied “No one is going to get hurt” (meaning-officers) Clearly, I was getting nowhere.   

Now, can he do this? Yes. Is he doing this because my email is confrontational? NO. So, I guess that begs the question-“Why then, is he doing this?” Let me inform you of another bit of information. I was also advised that the departmental media office will no longer send out anything from the FOP or the FOP Auxiliary.  No more information about blood drives, memorial services like the one for David Moore that was held at the FOP, nothing regarding providing Christmas for 300 underprivledged children, no family movie nights, NOTHING. Ask yourself, “Why would this administration be scared to allow those kinds of communications between the FOP and its members?” I’ll tell you why. They want to prevent you from getting factual information in a timely manner. They want to weaken the FOP, if not eliminate it altogether. They want you to be deaf, dumb, and blind. It’s not going to happen. You are too smart for that, and we will not sit idly by while there are assaults on your bargaining and representative rights. They don’t want you to have a voice in how you are treated. I can tell you this, in the last two years, the FOP has filed a record number of grievances for its members. Grievances that we win at a significantly high rate. We have been forced to take the administration to task over numerous contract violations. I say “forced” because the violations always begin with me pointing out the contract violations to the Chief or the Director and so far, getting little or no cooperation toward a resolution. I have practically begged for them to discuss a mutual resolution, only to be told there will be no budging. So, we are forced to go to court.

Is it frustrating? You bet it is. Is it rewarding when we are told that the city violated our contract AGAIN? Yes, but the main thing is that it doesn’t have to be that way and we don’t want it that way, but again, we will not sit idly by and ignore illegal, unfair practices. Thousands of tax payer dollars are spent needlessly by this administration. Likely, tens of thousands. You will be hearing more about that soon.

I have asked countless times privately and publicly, (even utilizing some City-County Councilors as message bearers)to allow the FOP a seat at the table when discussing General Orders, policy changes, future plans for the department, etc. This isn’t a new direction, folks. I was able to do that for two years with the previous administration and it worked beautifully. The philosophy of this administration seems to be that they can do what they want, when they want, how they want, people and contracts be damned. That’s quite a contrast to the leadership challenge. The FOP recently gave the Chief’s office a list of (9) nine issues that we wanted to discuss, ranging from minor issues to discipline and contract violations. Do you know how many the Chief agreed to discuss? NONE. ZERO. We weren’t even afforded the opportunity to begin the discussions to see if there was middle ground. How’s that for cooperation? We are now forced to implement a contractual labor management committee and we will be reporting back to the membership our agenda and all of the results of those meetings.

Okay, so what’s the plan now? First of all, you still have to be committed to making our city a better place to live in spite of the way you are treated. It isn’t the citizens not abiding by the Leadership Challenge, which is “Am I doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right reasons?” Our citizens still expect, and rightfully so, to have a safe place to live and play. We are still committed to making IMPD the best police department anywhere. On a personal note, I spent 27 years on the street before being elected President. Most of that was on late shift by choice. I know what sacrifice is, and I know that you make sacrifices every day. I know what it’s like to have to work holidays, I know what it’s like to miss family functions and leisure time. I also know that sometimes people who are out of those working conditions (or who NEVER have had to work under those conditions) forget the backbone of this organization. YOU are the backbone of IMPD. YOU are the reason we have, year after year, successful major sporting events and multiple conventions. Do you think for one minute we would be known as the Amateur Sports Capitol of the World if we had 300 homicides a year? No one would look twice at Indianapolis for the Super Bowl or any other event. That happens because of YOU and the job you do each and every day.

Information sharing will not slow down, it is inconvenient that we can no longer utilize the FOP86 email, but it also shows the true motivations of those we deal with every day. We have a new website at www.fop86.org. I will strive to have up-to-date information on there every day. I can assure you, NO ONE will censure what is on there! Your job? We need you to do a couple of things for this to be successful. First of all, you have to check our website regularly, and by that, I mean at least every day. Take 5 minutes to be informed. Secondly, provide for us your personal email so we can create an internal email data bank so we can send the Siren out electronically and communicate with you via your personal email. We will not give your email to anyone for any reason. I’m sure you are aware that any communication over departmental pagers, laptops, or email is public record. I’m also sure you are aware of someone who has been disciplined for improper use, don’t set yourself up for that. Provide us your email in this format:

              Last name, First name: email address

Send it to lodge@fop86.org we will begin to compile a data bank immediately and utilize it as a means of communication.

Your lodge will survive and thrive because of your participation. Please take an hour out of your month to attend the regular business meetings. Meetings are the first Thursday of the month at 1800 hours. Any organization is only as strong as its membership. You want to send a message? Let’s send it as 1600 strong, united voices. THAT’S how you do it.

Get involved in the political action process. If you followed just the mayoral race last year, you heard one candidate consistently thanking the FOP for its endorsement and one candidate trying to say that the endorsement wasn’t that big of a deal…the key?  BOTH candidates were always talking about the FOP endorsement! We can’t elect our friends and defeat our enemies without your participation. You can fill out a payroll deduction form and have a few bucks taken out each pay, or write a one-time check made out to “PAC”. Again-you have to get involved to have a voice and to get anything done. You simply can’t rely on a few people to carry the message or the weight. WE have to carry the message, WE have to do the work together!

I will close with a reminder, the leadership challenge is this: Am I doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right reasons?  That certainly isn’t a bad credo to live by each and every day.

As always, I can be reached via email at: wowensby@fop86.org or cell 317-502-5523.

STAY SAFE

Fraternally,

William R. Owensby, President

Indianapolis Lodge 86

Due to the Super Bowl the Regular Business Meeting on Thursday February 2nd 2012 will be rescheduled for Thursday February 16th 2012 @ 6:00pm.

Please click on the link below to view this message:

Supplemental Super Bowl Opinion 1 19 12

Greetings,

As you are aware, our membership has correctly identified a miscalculation in the OT rate paid by the city since January 1.  We are diligently working on a remedy which obviously involves the city adhering to  the contract. The city is aware of the issue and we at the FOP are awaiting a response to an email where we have identified the problem and asked for a timeline for correction.  Please know that this issue, like any other, will receive prompt and focused attention from your FOP.  In our opinion, the issue is clear and the solution is clear. We will keep you apprised of the issue as  it progresses.  Please pass this information on to your peers.  Remember to check www.fop86.org regularly for updates and information on numerous issues we are working on.

Fraternally,

 Bill Owensby

Greetings,

I want to draw your attention to Senate Bill 1, which passed out of committee on Tuesday January 17, 2012.  If passed by the Indiana Legislature, this bill (in my opinion) could have disastrous effects on the safety of police officers all over our state.  The State FOP provided a study committee their view point in October 2011, but it apparently fell on deaf ears. The puzzling thing is you will recognize many of the sponsor’s names as supporters of Law Enforcement who have been endorsed in the past by the FOP both locally and state wide.

The summary of the bill provides a “right to defend against unlawful entry by police.” Further, it permits “a person the right to resist the unlawful entry into a dwelling by a law enforcement officer under certain conditions.” 

The quoted verbiage I took directly from the Senate Bill synopsis. The bill is apparently a counter to the “Barnes” decision by the Indiana Supreme Court last year, which caused some controversy among those who hold onto the “man’s house is his castle” doctrine, even though the Supreme Court specifically addressed that issue both times and advised that the ruling did nothing to harm that long held belief.  The Barnes decision essentially said that there were legal remedies one could take against unlawful entry by law enforcement, but that a person could not use physical force to resist law enforcement. Admittedly I’m taking license in summarizing the Barnes decision, but my point is this, there are legal remedies to utilize if you feel you’ve been harmed. There ARE NO legal remedies if this law passes and someone feels that law enforcement does not have the right to do what they are doing and they use deadly force. We cannot bring an officer back to life. 

For years we have preached the importance of PAC participation, and how important it is to elect our friends and defeat our enemies. You now have the ability to take part in the political process. No, we aren’t electing anyone now, but you have the opportunity to make your voice heard as this bill goes for a 2nd reading and then on to the House. I will provide you with the sponsors of this bill.  Unfortunately, I could not locate an easy way to email the legislators as you have to contact them individually on the Indiana State website. I would encourage you to write as many as you can to PROFESSIONALLY voice your concern for the safety of L.E. all over the state if this bill is passed. You can also begin to contact the State Representatives as they will likely be hearing this bill next week. THIS BILL SHOULD SCARE YOU TO ACTION!

The following State Senators have sponsored this bill:

R.Michael Young; Ed Charbonneau; Brent Steele; Scott Schneider; John M. Waterman; Brandt Hershman; Sue Landske; James W. Merritt, Jr; Ryan D. Mishler; Jean Leising; Doug Eckerty; Vaneta Becker; Patricia L. Miller; Johnny Nugent; Connie Lawson; Ron Alting; Greg Walker; Ron Grooms; Dennis K. Kruse; Brent Waltz; Mike Delph; Phil Boots; Carlin Yoder; Jim Banks; Jim Tomes; Susan Glick; Beverly J Gard; Allen E Paul; Thomas J. Wyss.

Let them know that this bill takes away legal safety protections for law enforcement all over the state.  Let them know that they are, by it’s passage, making it a deadly threat to law enforcement every time a warrant is served or you have ANY reason to encounter someone in a confrontational manner on their property.

Fraternally,

Bill Owensby

  Rick Snyder 1^st Vice President FOP #86 

 One of the many things I have learned over my past 15 years in Law Enforcement is we are a good and noble breed.  It is universally recognized, we run toward danger when others run away.  Throughout our nation, citizens have grown to understand our commitment and determination through high visibility incidents such as 9/11, the LAPD bank robbery shoot out, the Ft. Hood shooting and many other examples which have shined a light on our profession’s tenacity.

Locally, the residents of Indianapolis and surrounding communities have also stood witness to this same defining light which has shined on the heroism of our sisters and brothers during incidents which have involved tragedies such as Deputy Jason Baker, Officer Jake Laird, Officer Michael Antonelli, Officer Jason Fishburn and most recently embodied in the death and life of Officer David Moore.

However, often in the shadows of the mundane day-to-day grind of police work, our community (and often times our own officers) miss the daily acts of selflessness and courage which silently keep our city safe because good and decent women and men stand the line between good and evil.

Sometimes, it is easy to forget about the “silent majority” who steadfastly stand with our officers and support us through times of difficulty and who also step back in times of triumph to ensure our body of work receives the recognition it deserves.

Unfortunately, I have also witnessed those who have attempted to take advantage of our profession.  Some have not only disrespected our departmental histories, but have targeted our members for their own political gain while blaming our collective body for financial difficulties our city has faced.  During these times, I have found it difficult to stand silently by while ill intentioned plans have threatened the well being of our communities, our officers and their families.  As I have stated many times before, Public Safety is not the problem, it is the mismanagement of Public Safety funds that is the problem!

This misplaced blame and repeated mistreatment of our members has compelled me many times to rise and challenge the establishment of the day.  As we have all learned time and again, those who have proposed misguided policies and who have demeaned our profession will come and go…but it is us who will remain.  We were here when they walked in the door, and we will be here when they walk out.

Although I have been honored to stand up for our membership as a representative at the local and state level during the consolidation process, as an elected pension board member, as an FOP table team member for the past two contracts and as an advocate for our retired and active members who have had their benefits and livelihoods threatened, I have also been reluctant to seek official positions on the FOP #86 Executive Board.  Instead, I have believed others were more than able to represent our membership and engage departmental management and elected officials as was necessary. 

However, recent actions and the challenges which loom on the immediate horizon have caused me to reevaluate my role in the FOP.  Last year, I ran unopposed and was installed in the position of Inner Guard on the 2010 FOP #86 Executive Board.  Now more than ever, I believe we face mounting pressures from outside and from within our individual agencies which make up our collective body of Lodge #86.  Based on my experiences and my commitment to our sisters and brothers, I am honored to fulfill the higher office of First Vice President so that I may better assist our elected President and more effectively represent our membership.

My goal is to focus on the 3 L’s which form the foundation of our FOP: the Labor, Legal and Legislative efforts which ensure the protections our members have earned so that they may better enjoy the fraternalism we often come to rely upon.  Fraternalism which ranges from hosting retirement celebrations, honoring our past through historical collections, supporting a member’s family through times of personal struggle and illness, as well as the work and support of our Auxiliary  through memorial services, family movie nights and our social luncheons and dinners which are held within our Lodge Restaurant and Conference Center.

However, none of these fraternal aspects are possible without a steadfast commitment to protect the unique rights of our members who are required to operate in a dangerous and often unforgiving workplace environment. 

Recent challenges posed by policy and by person have reminded us we cannot navigate these waters alone.  I have found the FOP has consistently demonstrated to police officers, we cannot deal with these challenges individually.  However, we can do it collectively.  Collectively we can build power and change things. 

Right now, many of our officers and detectives are working from fear.  Our members have recently been demeaned, treated unfairly, cast aside and publicly branded and defamed in order to push our membership out of action and away from progress through fear mongering.

Therefore, our job as a labor union is to be an organization of change and of possibility which sets the standards for our profession and speaks with one voice.  I have joined our FOP President and the leaders of the top 50 Police Labor Unions in the United States and have heard the horror stories of those who have crisscrossed the country leapfrogging from one police department to the other proclaiming to have the formula to solve all social ills.  However, few of them have the depth of experience and real world knowledge to be successful.  They do not speak for our profession, instead they speak for themselves and their actions always speak louder than their rhetoric. 

The true subject matter experts in law enforcement are the women and men who daily toil in the streets, roads, jails, highways and alleys of our society.  Sadly, our membership has of late begun to stand by and wait to see what the future may hold.  However, “the best way to predict the future is to create it!” (E. Bernard)

It is with this spirit and belief system that I humbly thank you for your support and confidence that you extended to me this November 2011 so that I may serve you and your family, your friends and our organization as First Vice President of the FOP Lodge #86.

Fraternally,

Rick Snyder

EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTE RESULTS 2012:

CHAPLAIN:  LAVERNE SANBORN

INNER GUARD:  ROB TURNER

3RD YEAR TRUSTEE:  ROD WALLACE

PENSION BOARD VOTE RESULTS 2012:

ROGER SPURGEON

DAVID ROTH