Members are automatically covered with
the following;
* National FOP Legal Defense Plan (See
Legal Plan coverage for details)
* $10,000 - Accidental Death by Bodily
Injury/Dismemberment 24 hour coverage
* $20,000 - Line of Duty Death/Dismemberment
At the present time, members are also
afforded the following additional insurance
benefits through the Missouri State Lodge,
F.O.P., via the per capita tax, which
is already covered by your dues;
* $5000 - Accidental Death by Bodily
Injury/Dismemberment 24 hour coverage
* $10,000 - Line of Duty Death/Dismemberment
* $12,500 - Occupational Assault - Line
of Duty Death/Dismemberment
Your membership as a sworn law enforcement
officer in the KCFOP provides you with
access to any attorney who subscribes
to the Plan. Refer to the Plan booklet
for coverage. The KCFOP has a list of
attorneys who are familiar with our issues
but that does not prevent you from getting
your own attorney on the Plan. You must
join the KCFOP for this representation
as coverage is strictly for members only.
By having funds available for Kansas
City specific operations, we are able
to provide funding for job actions such
as we did in 1998, at City Hall, or the
information picket of the Missouri Municipal
League in September, 1999. Another case
in point is the October, 1999, pay issue.
When it became evident that our Department
was deviating from previous agreements,
we were able to provide professional appearing
booklets, in 3-ring binders, outlining
the agreements, historical perspective,
and solutions. These booklets were printed
up at a cost of $120.00 and provided to
the entire Board of Police Commissioners,
Mayor, Chief of Police and appropriate
Deputy Chief. Had we not acted on our
own, the information would have been late
in reaching the appropriate people, and
appeared after the Board of Police Commissioners
could take action. By the next Police
Board meeting, the issue was brought back
to the Board by a member, and the Department
modified its Y2K overtime schedule. Money
saved is to be directed toward further
police officer salary corrections.
| Political
Activity |
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We
have retirees and an attorney who
have expressed an interest in working
on our behalf. They know the Kansas
City Police Department and realize
our Department’s good points
as well as those which need changing.
As non-Department Members they are
not hindered by the same questions
regarding supposed restrictions
on political endorsements and campaign
contributions that those who would
like us to not have the opportunity
to speak in our behalf would impose
upon us. This is why the the Friends
of the KCFOP was formed in our behalf.
We are fortunate to have these friends
who can speak honestly with elected
officials about our membership's
needs without fear of retaliation.
For more information you may refer
to the Friends
of the KCFOP Website. |
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Legislative
Activity
The KCFOP has a constant presence in
Jefferson City talking to legislators
about our issues and those law enforcement
matters important to the service of our
community.
In
addition to other political activity,
the KCFOP promotes and supports legislation
benefiting law enforcement and the community.
One prime example of this activity is
the KCFOP Legislation of 2004 that made
all assaults on law enforcement officers
and emergency services workers a felony.
This legislation was a culmination of
a 3 year effort by the KCFOP to provide
a better tool to prosecutors when police
officers are the victims of assaults.
This legislation was authored and promoted
exclusively by the KCFOP. See
KCFOP Assault Law passed in 2004.
Another example was the Master Patrolman/Detective
legislation passed in 2004 promoted by
the KCFOP to recognize tenured police
officers and detectives. See
Master Patrolman / Detective legislation
passed in 2004.
In 2000 the KCFOP successfully blocked
the passage of Senate
Bill 769. The passage of this bill
would have deprived Kansas City police
officers of the right to a hearing before
the Board of Police Commissioners for
lengthy suspensions or terminations. This
legislation followed a 5 year litigation
by a Kansas City Police sergeant who was
initially denied a board hearing over
his termination. The courts forced the
board hearing advising it was required
by Missouri law. The resulting and protracted
hearing and court battle ended with the
sergeant winning the litigation and an
unpublished settlement with the department
in which the sergeant was retired. In
the end the KCFOP was successful in defeating
attempts to limit our member's access
to due process. The KCFOP was also successful
in providing the Board of Police Commissioners
with another alternative, an independent
hearing officer selected from arbitrators
and retired judges. This provided our
membership with an alternative elective
option to a board hearing and prevented
future attempts to limit our membership's
due process rights. For more information
refer to the KCFOP negotiated BOPC Board
Hearing Resolution. Negotiations resulted
in an official BOPC Board Hearing Waiver
Form for the officer to opt out of the
board hearing in favor of an arbitration
hearing.
In 2001 the KCFOP worked together with
the St Louis POA and the Missouri State
FOP to pass the Stanze Bill. This legislation
was eventually attached to our pay bill
and provides for the restriction of Missouri
DOR files relating to drivers licenses
and registration information on police
officers after the family of a police
officer who lost his life in the line
of duty was harassed by someone who located
the family using the deceased officers
DOR license information. See
Stanze Form
In
2003 the KCFOP passed legislation removing
the statutory requirement for Kansas City
officers to live within the city limits.
This change in the law returned the control
of this restriction to the local level
and allows us to lobby local legislators
on this matter and not attempt to win
the hearts and minds of 207 state legislators
regarding a local issue they may not be
concerned with. See
HB709 which was later passed as amended
into SB5.
In 2003 the KCFOP, this time with support
from the Missouri State Lodge testified
in behalf of and eventually passed legislation
modifying the penalty for 1st degree assault
on a police officer by making it a dangerous
felony and requiring the sentenced party
to serve a minimum of 85 % of his sentence
prior to being eligible for parole. The
KCFOP was responding to a suspect being
considered for parole after serving only
a few years of his sentence for the shooting
and botched murder attempt of Officer
Rob Blehm and Officer Derek McCollum.
The Lodge also appealed to legislators,
city officials, and the governor to bring
the matter of this dangerous criminal's
potential early release. So far he remains
in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Future crimes of 1st degree assault on
a police officer will meet with the increased
penalties brought about by the Lodge's
response to our members' needs. See
SB5
The KCFOP continues to provide support
to legislators who seek to pass anti-crime
legislation to make Missouri a better
place to live. The watch list provided
to our members identifies many of the
bills that we either support or oppose.
The Lodge provides expertise and rank
and file support to legislators from our
membership that can only be provided by
the working police officers and detectives
that do the job. This is not a job that
can be performed by any one person and
we as a Lodge create a substantial asset
for the Missouri legislature.
On the National Level the Grandlodge
FOP works to promote legislation benefiting
law enforcement officers. One of the latest
successes was FOP promoted HR 218 which
allows for law enforcement officers and
retired officers to carry concealed weapons
nationwide. Click here for a list of frequently
asked questions on HR218. HR218
FAQ Sheet.
Be a part of the movement. The KCFOP
represents the vast majority of officers
on the KCPD and provides a voice that
is heard for our members.
FOP Members
Only Offers
The Grandlodge Fraternal Order of Police
is the largest police organization in
the country consisting of more than 2,100
local lodges and serving more than 321,000
members has worked diligently toward offering
benefits to our membership nationwide.
Listed below are just some of the benefits
afforded to FOP members augmented by efforts
of the individual state lodges and local
lodges throughout the United States.
