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| A BRIEF
HISTORY OF THE FOP |
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In 1915, the life of a policeman was bleak.
In many communities they were forced to work 12 hour days,
365 days a year. Police officers didn't like it, but there
was little they could do to change their working conditions.
There were no organizations to make their voices heard; no
other means to make their grievances known.
This soon changed, thanks to the courage and wisdom of two
Pittsburgh patrol officers. Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle
knew they must first organize police officers, like other
labor interests, if they were to be successful in making
life better for themselves and their fellow police officers.
They and 21 others "who were willing to take a chance" met
on May 14, 1915, and held the first meeting of the Fraternal
Order of Police. They formed Fort Pitt Lodge #1. They
decided on this name due to the anti-union sentiment of the
time. However, there was no mistaking their intentions. As
they told their city mayor, Joe Armstrong, the FOP would be
the means "to bring our aggrievances before the Mayor or
Council and have many things adjusted that we are unable to
present in any other way...we could get many things through
our legislature that our Council will not, or cannot give
us."
And so it began, a tradition of police officers representing
police officers. The Fraternal Order of Police was given
life by two dedicated police officers determined to better
their profession and those who choose to protect and serve
our communities, our states, and our country. It was not
long afterward that Mayor Armstrong was congratulating the
Fraternal Order of Police for their "strong influence in the
legislatures in various states,...their considerate and
charitable efforts" on behalf of the officers in need and
for the FOP's "efforts at increasing the public confidence
toward the police to the benefit of the peace, as well as
the public."
From that small beginning the Fraternal Order of Police
began growing steadily. In 1917, the idea of a National
Organization of Police Officers came about. Today, the
tradition that was first envisioned over 90 years ago lives
on with more than 2,100 local lodges and more than 325,000
members in the United States. The Fraternal Order of Police
has become the largest professional police organization in
the country. The FOP continues to grow because we have been
true to the tradition and continued to build on it. The
Fraternal Order of Police are proud professionals working on
behalf of law enforcement officers from all ranks and levels
of government.
(From "A Brief History of
the Fraternal Order of Police", Grand Lodge website) |
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