About FOP44

THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE

Union strength in numbers ~ click to start

FOP NATIONALLY

The Fraternal Order of Police was founded in 1915 by two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania patrol officers, Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle. They and 21 other members of the Pittsburgh Police Department met on May 14, 1915, establishing the Fraternal Order of Police and its first local, Fort Pitt Lodge #1.

Soon after, State Lodges were established and then the Grand Lodge was formed to encompass the United States. From the original 23 members, the membership now totals over 350,000,

and there are over 2200 local Lodges in the United States to include one in Dublin & Blarney, Ireland and one in Ontario, Canada.

The FOP is "the voice of our nation's law enforcement officers."

The FOP is a "full-service member representation organization.”

It lobbies Congress and regulatory agencies on behalf of law enforcement officers, provides labor representation, promotes legal defense for officers, and offers resources such as legal research.

It also sponsors charities such as Easter Seals, Special Olympics, memorials for fallen officers, and support programs for spouses and family members of law enforcement officers.

The national organization has three offices: the Labor Services Division in Columbus, Ohio, and the Steve Young Law Enforcement Legislative Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Atnip-Orms Center National Headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee,

The FOP official history states that the founders decided to not use the term "union" because of "the anti-union sentiment of the time," but nevertheless acted as a union, telling Pittsburgh Mayor Joseph G. Armstrong that the FOP would "bring our grievances 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."

FOP ARIZONA BEGINNINGS

On January 25, 1934, Tucson Police Officer Frank Eyman was one of the several officers who captured John Dillinger in downtown Tucson. Eyman, who later became Sheriff of Pima County and Warden of the Arizona State Prison in Florence (1955 to 1972), transported Dillinger to Chicago.

While there, he had the opportunity to visit a Fraternal Order of Police Lodge and returned to Tucson with paperwork to establish the first FOP Lodge; Tucson Lodge 1, whose members are Tucson PD officers. Later the same year, the Arizona State FOP Lodge and Phoenix FOP Lodge 2 were chartered.

FOP ARIZONA LODGE 44

The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 44 for Corrections, Inc. (FOP44) organized in 1980 for the mutual aid and protection of Arizona Department of Corrections Officers. And since then, has become one of the largest Corrections Lodges in the Fraternal Order of Police.

In 2012, Lodge 44 has grown to include the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections & ADC Parole.

For more than 40 years the Lodge has represented the interests of Professional Correctional Employees. Many of the benefits obtained for our members are a result of the efforts by the Fraternal Order of Police to actively fight for wages, benefits and improved working conditions.

Our membership includes staff of all ranks from Correctional Officers to Administration, Parole Officers, Juvenile Detention Officers, other CORP members, and retirees.

We know the needs and aspirations of Correctional Professionals because we work ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with you. We are committed to improving working conditions for the ‘line staff," better pay and benefits, better safety, adequate equipment, and equitable personnel policies and procedures.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities. We are committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those we serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation.

No one knows the dangers and the difficulties faced by today's law enforcement officers better than another officer, and no one knows law enforcement officers better than the Fraternal Order of Police.

Lodge 44 offers legal protection to our members through the Fraternal Order of Police Arizona Labor Council (AOPALC) legal plan. The FOPALC provides the best legal defense plan for Law Enforcement in Arizona.

FOP44 Recruiting at ASPC-Winslow