Brothers and Sisters,

During this time of public uncertainty, it is paramount that public safety be a top priority of all residents in Washington state ranging from public officials to our personal neighbors. From the steps of the capitol to the halls (virtual) of justice issues related to law enforcement have been some of our state’s biggest issues this week.

This past weekend at a public rally against Governor Inslee’s “Stay at Home Order” Representative Robert Sutherland (R39th) made remarks that have an impact on Washington State FOP members and law enforcement generally. We understand the Representative’s constitutional position and respectfully ask that Representative Sutherland remember law enforcement officers everywhere in this State have as their mission to protect the public safety.

When someone urges those gathered at a rally to start a revolt if state officials (like law enforcement officers) try to enforce the temporary ban on recreational fishing in the context of stating that if you (the state) send men with guns after us for going fishing, we’ll see what a revolution looks like it has reverberations. Such urgings will, our members believe, have significant and substantial adverse impacts how Washingtonians will approach and interact with us - thus jeopardizing our safety.

On Thursday the state Supreme Court heard opening remarks on a petition filed by Columbia Legal Services to release a large number of offenders from Washington State’s prisons. We praise the Supreme Court’s decision to deny the petition of the mass release of inmates and hope that calmer heads prevail on any future releases. Last week we sent a letter to Governor Inslee and Secretary of Corrections Sinclair urging for a comprehensive plan for release and supervision. If you missed it you can still read it here.

With all the news related to COVID-19 leading headlines some important information can easily be missed. Poulsbo Police Department officer Craig Keller will not face any criminal charges for an incident that resulted in the death of a Poulsbo man on July 3, 2019. This nine-month investigation was one of the first officer involved shooting incidents investigated under I-940 and the associated Washington Administrative Codes (WAC). As a key stakeholder in the I-940 rulemaking process WAFOP is disappointed in the length of time it took to conduct the investigation. Extending an investigation for this duration does not help the recovery process for all of those involved and leaves families and individuals, including that of the involved officer in flux.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

We continue to field concerns with working conditions related to the current COVID 19 pandemic. We are getting reports of local jurisdictions changing or adding patrol shifts as a part of their emergency management plans to deal with the pandemic. This has created a lot of questions on our current bargaining rights. As we are seeing a swift increase in officer deaths related to on duty COVID 19 incidents and the lack of proper PPE equipment members are questioning why adding additional patrols would help prevent exposure to them and their families.

The Washington State FOP and our general counsel believe that in many cases municipalities are not able to arbitrarily make these changes without first requesting to bargain the effects of these decisions. It is imperative if this is happening in your area that you first read your collective bargaining agreement and the jurisdictions emergency management protocols regarding local executive orders. If you feel that a local jurisdiction cannot make these decisions without first communicating with the bargaining unit to discuss the effects, please reach out to your bargaining representative to send a demand to bargain letter. Our general counsel will offer a template on how a demand to bargain letter should look like.

The Washington State FOP realizes that these our unprecedented times we are facing, and it is important that we do our part to help keep communities safe. With that said, we do not have the luxury of staying home. We will inherently find ourselves in a more compromising situation for exposure. It is important that each municipality recognizes this sacrifice and work with their local bargaining units to find ways to limit the possibility of exposer to the dedicated men and women working to keep our communities safe.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

As we have been dealing with the current COVID 19 pandemic, law enforcement has remained on the front lines while putting themselves and their families at higher risk to contract this virus. It brings me great sadness to report that over 38 of our brothers and sisters have died as a result of complications of the Coronavirus. Washington law enforcement has felt this extreme loss as one of our own has lost their live today from what appears to be symptoms consistent with COVID 19. Bainbridge Officer Kurt Enget was a dedicated officer in our state, and we pray for comfort to his family during this tragic time.

These numbers will continue to rise especially without proper personal protective equipment. Many agencies throughout Washington State do not have the proper protective masks that reduce the risk of contracting the virus. We are currently communicating with the Governor’s office asking for assistance in obtaining this much needed equipment.

The Fraternal Order of Police has worked diligently to address how this pandemic has impacted our profession. Through our hard work in our Nation’s Capital the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit Program considers loss of life related to Coronavirus a line of duty death and extending benefits to survivors of those officers that have fallen to the disease. This acknowledgment is extremely important to surviving families as they will be eligible for federal support to address the impact that is would have on their families

Our national office has encouraged every state to contact the Governor’s offices in their state and encourage legislation to address COVID 19 as a presumptive disease. In Washington State we realize that our Governor issued an executive order establishing specific enhancements of our current Labor & Industries standards. We believe more can be done to provide greater detail in the Labor and Industries coverage for first responders and health care workers and hope that improvements are a top priority for our state’s elected leaders. A consistent statewide protocol provides those impacted professions some peace of mind and advise agency administration on how to support their employees and still keep their workforce safe and healthy.

The Washington State FOP continues to work hard on behalf of our profession and will provide updates as we get them. In the meantime, stay safe, look after one another, and no that the FOP is out there looking after you.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

As law enforcement professionals, we take pride in being the protectors of public safety. Most got into this job to make a difference while understanding the risk we take every time we start our shift as there is a small part of us that realizes this could be the last time we see those that mean the most to us.

During times of crisis we are asked to continue to provide comfort and security to the public. It has been no different with the current crisis facing us with the COVID 19 pandemic. While other non-essential employees are able to stay home and focus on taking care of themselves while still being able to work remotely, first responders are required to still put themselves and their families at risk. These are tough times we are facing.

As a union organization, we should expect our cities and counties to recognize the sacrifice we make. Unfortunately, the Washington State FOP is getting reports of cities and counties informing our first responders that they will be reducing their pay due to the hardship of the COVID 19 pandemic. It is unfortunate and comes at a time when first responders are already at a disadvantage with the lack of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep themselves and others safe.

Any city or county that is considering reducing the pay of the men and women working as first responders should be ashamed of themselves and are not recognizing those individuals that put themselves at risk in order to allow our public officials the comfort of staying home and looking after the safety of their loved ones.

If any of our law enforcement guilds in Washington State are hearing that their cities or counties are considering a mandatory reduction in pay, the Washington State FOP official position is that they are required to provide a letter to the guild or association for a demand to bargain as is a change in their collective bargaining agreement that has been signed between the 2 entities. Even if cities or counties think that under emergency situations they have that authority, they must bargain the effects of these mandates and we as that they look at the federal support they could get before making these drastic decisions.

Our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and other first responders deserve better treatment during this crisis. Keep working hard brothers and sisters and know that the Washington State FOP is here working for you and is a resource that you can rely on.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

With the current “Stay at home, stay healthy” order mandated by Governor Inslee in dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic there is a lot of misinformation regarding law enforcements response to individuals not complying with this order.

Law enforcement isn’t required to enforce this order by issuing citations or arresting individuals for breaking this mandate. Our role is to educate and encourage citizens to stay home. By staying home we lower contact with individuals that may have contracted the virus, which in turn, helps manage the outbreak. Remember by staying home we are potentially saving lives.

In order to educate the public, we remain visible and demonstrate to our community that we care and will continue to look after their safety.

We have also heard of concerns with the heightened potential of exposure for first responders and what employers are doing to ease these concerns for law enforcement personnel. The Washington State FOP is working with cities and counties throughout the state on ways to address potential exposure for our brothers and sisters. Many areas have test sites for first responders who are showing symptoms. Agencies are limiting contacts unless it is a priority. If officers are diagnosed with the virus employers are working with are officers on criteria to keep them quarantined while not having to burn sick or annual leave time. Agencies are starting to understand that as a workforce that is required to still be visible in the public, they need to do their best to look after the safety of their employees.

If you have concerns and are looking for resources, we encourage everyone, member or not to complete the questionnaire that will be attached to this week’s newsletter. This will allow us to advocate for all of you appropriately as communication during this trying time is essential. We also encourage our members or anyone in law enforcement to send us information on some positive things you are doing in the communities during this crisis. This information can be sent to us through our Facebook page or by email.

Rest assured as a law enforcement organization that represents over 350,000 members nationwide we are committed to quality service to our communities and to our members and will continue to work on your behalf and provide updates on changes our best practices while we work together to address this current crisis.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

As most of you know, HB 2406 did not make it out of committee in the House Transportation Committee this session. The Bill would have created a specialty license plate where the proceeds of that plate would go toward much needed health and wellness recourses for law enforcement.

The Washington State FOP has been recognized for having the courage to bring this topic up and to work on a solution to address the rise in officer suicides throughout this country. Unfortunately, with the opposition of law enforcement organizations such as the Washington Council of Police & Sherriff’s (WACOPS), Behind the Badge Foundation, Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs (COMPAS) and the Washington State Troopers Association created misinformation and doubt on the purpose for the license plate. The narrative that was expressed through testimony at the beginning was that it would take away from the funds obtained through the Law Enforcement Memorial Plate.

The Washington State FOP would never intend to take potential revenue on something that helps fallen officers and their families. As such, the FOP added an amendment to HB 2406 that would allow the legislature to provide revenue to Behind the Badge if there was a loss in revenue by the creation of the Wellness plate. Unfortunately to our dismay the same law enforcement organizations still decided to oppose this legislation. This division is extremely unfortunate and instead of celebrating a program that would provide resources to officers suffering from mental health we are now left in the same position we started in, which is lack of recourses for a growing problem throughout this country.

There were 228 officers that committed suicide in 2019 which is more than double the number of officers that lost their lives in the line of duty. The creation of the specialty wellness plate would have complemented the Law Enforcement Memorial plate sponsored by Behind the Badge and would have addressed the living and continue to provide the programs for the fallen.

Until all the law enforcement organizations stop having territorial conflicts and come together our profession will continue to suffer. The Washington State FOP has and will continue to be the calm voices in the room that represents the profession as a whole, not just one demographic. The Washington State FOP has been transparent with the things we support and will continue to do so on behalf of all law enforcement, even when unpopular with other law enforcement organizations, because it is the right thing to do.

Fraternally,

Marco Monteblanco, President Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

As we begin the new year, we are prepared to embark on a journey that has been overlooked for too long. We are 2 months into our campaign to provide much needed resources to law enforcement or similar professionals exposed to sustained amounts of trauma. We have been collecting signatures of support and we have proven that the citizens throughout Washington State believe this is an issue that deserves adequate funding.

This past year we have seen an increase in officer suicides throughout this country with over 225 officers losing their lives who did not have adequate assistance in dealing with the tragedies we face every day. As we begin the 2020 legislative session on January 13th, we have set in motion a way to address these concerns. We will be active and with the assistance of many we hope to get this plate passed in the legislature.

I encourage our supporters, our elected officials, and all our law enforcement professionals to ask yourselves, “Why shouldn’t I support something that would provide resources to address mental health and wellness for our law enforcement officers?” The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police does not believe that anyone would not support something that has the potential to lower the amount of suicides in our profession.

In closing, we encourage our elected officials and other law enforcement organizations to look at the bigger picture. We encourage everyone to set politics aside for the health of our profession. Stand with us and show our entire state that we are willing to come together and do our part to help our heroes who work tirelessly on behalf of all citizens throughout the communities we serve.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Welcome to the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) and our official web site. The new website has been created in an effort to keep our members better informed and up to date on local, state and national information that affect law enforcement officers and their families. This website is the ONE VOICE for law enforcement officers in Washington State.

The WAFOP represents over 3,400 law enforcement officers in the state and directly associated with the National FOP with over 364,000 members. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest professional law enforcement organization in the nation. Our legislative efforts in Washington D.C. and Olympia are largely successful because of the unprecedented national membership and the only professional law enforcement organization that represents all law enforcement, regardless of rank or agency. Our motto is “Cops helping Cops."

On this website you will find a host of benefits for members and their families. These are unparalleled and available because of our commitment to provide the very best for law enforcement officers and our members. We strive to have these benefits available for the choosing and with an ala-carte selection for the most part.

Our commitment to helping law enforcement officers in a time of need is very important to us. You will notice a number of programs that we actively participate in to see that we are ready when help is needed. Our support of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial, CISM and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington D.C. are just a few of the programs we support.

Of course seeing to the welfare of those not as fortunate in our communities is at the core of public service and what we, as a profession, stand for. Simply said, we are very committed to programs that help the less fortunate especially kids, with Special Olympics being near and dear to our hearts.

On behalf of the members in Washington State, and the 335,000 of our closest brothers and sisters across the nation, we appreciate you visiting our web site and thank you for your support.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco
State President

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Executive Board we want to thank the entire Washington State delegation for an outstanding National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana from August 12th through August 15th, 2019. Washington State should take pride in our impact and professionalism throughout the entire conference.

Washington State worked tirelessly on behalf of the candidates we endorsed. Brothers Banner and Peterschick as well as E.D. Buffington committed much of their time and energy in NOLA supporting the conference operations and candidate exposure. Our hard work paid off as Brother Pat Yoes became our National President and Brother Joe Gamaldi was elected as our National Vice President. These accomplishments were bittersweet as our Brothers James Smallwood and Dave Mutchler fell a bit short in their elections. We would like to thank both for their hard work and dedication to the Fraternal Order of Police.

With elections concluded, WAFOP is ready to move forward and stand united in our effort on growing this organization through inclusiveness and action. Washington State FOP is pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Behind the Badge Foundation to host Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training for law enforcement officers in Jefferson and Clallam counties September 16th-18th. We would like to thank Behind the Badge for their partnership and we look forward to continuing this partnership as we provide this much needed training for our law enforcement officers throughout the state.

The WAFOP CISM program will consist of several phases including complimentary training and the development of regional teams, complimented by our unique organizational structure that can be deployed to support our colleagues and agencies that are experiencing crisis. Law enforcement mental health support needs a well-developed and multi-level response and WAFOP’s CISM program will answer that call. By addressing officer mental health, we are taking a proactive approach to helping the brave men and women who work tirelessly keeping their communities safe. Championed by E-Board Chaplain Peterschick this initiative is the embodiment of WAFOP’s commitment to “Cops helping cops”.

The CISM program and other programs in the WAFOP Memorial Foundation require reliable funding sources to sustain these initiatives into the future. In 2019 we successfully developed partnerships with corporate sponsors to support the Police Week Honor Guard Exhibition and Pipe & Drum Demonstration and look forward to repeating that success in 2020. Officer Health, Wellness and Training are also initiatives within the WAFOP Foundation and WAFOP is enthusiastically pursuing a public license plate in the 2020 Washington State Legislative session. Revenue earned from license plate sales as well as other diverse funding sources will benefit the foundation’s initiatives including the CISM program. More information on the license plate and the CISM program will be coming in future months.

In coming weeks local lodge Presidents, Secretaries and Delegates will be receiving communications that need membership engagement. These include two separate surveys that address the individual topics of LEOFF 2 and Independent Investigations as well as a web-based signature gathering link that supports our license plate efforts. We ask that you both participate and distribute to your fellow members, colleagues and community members as appropriate.

In closing, I would like to thank the entire Washington State membership for their commitment to this organization and to law enforcement in Washington. This dedication is recognized on a national level. Take pride in what we have accomplished and know that the Washington State FOP is there working and advocating for our profession.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Welcome to the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) and our official web site. The new website has been created in an effort to keep our members better informed and up to date on local, state and national information that affect law enforcement officers and their families. This website is the ONE VOICE for law enforcement officers in Washington State.

The WAFOP represents over 3,400 law enforcement officers in the state and directly associated with the National FOP with over 364,000 members. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest professional law enforcement organization in the nation. Our legislative efforts in Washington D.C. and Olympia are largely successful because of the unprecedented national membership and the only professional law enforcement organization that represents all law enforcement, regardless of rank or agency. Our motto is “Cops helping Cops."

On this website you will find a host of benefits for members and their families. These are unparalleled and available because of our commitment to provide the very best for law enforcement officers and our members. We strive to have these benefits available for the choosing and with an ala-carte selection for the most part.

Our commitment to helping law enforcement officers in a time of need is very important to us. You will notice a number of programs that we actively participate in to see that we are ready when help is needed. Our support of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial, CISM and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington D.C. are just a few of the programs we support.

Of course seeing to the welfare of those not as fortunate in our communities is at the core of public service and what we, as a profession, stand for. Simply said, we are very committed to programs that help the less fortunate especially kids, with Special Olympics being near and dear to our hearts.

On behalf of the members in Washington State, and the 335,000 of our closest brothers and sisters across the nation, we appreciate you visiting our web site and thank you for your support.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco
State President

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police Executive Board, we would like to give an update to all of you with the activity we have been involved in, advocating on behalf of the members and all of Law Enforcement, the past few months.

We have had board members attending specific events throughout the state and country bringing awareness to Washington Law Enforcement. Members have attended National Day on the Hill advocating on a national level for our brothers and sisters throughout the state and country. Board members attended Western States Coalition meeting to provide updates on Washington Law Enforcement concerns as well as networking for ideas to better our profession locally. We have also been an active participant in the rules making process on implementation of House Bill 1064 involving deadly force and training.

The most notable activity we were involved in is the planning of the National Honor Guard Exhibition and Tribute held in Washington DC on May 14th during police week. This event has been a staple to Washington State FOP for many years and I would like to thank everyone that has helped make this event successful. I would like to extend a special thank you to Minnesota State President Matt Hagen and the Minnesota State Lodge for assisting us this year and to Blackhawk Tactical, Flying Cross, Galls, Army Property, Marlow White Uniforms Inc., Glendale Parade Store, Mission BBQ and Homes for Heroes for sponsoring our event this year.

As we get closer to National Conference in New Orleans, it is with honor that the Washington State Lodge announce to everyone that we have endorsed the following candidates for national office. Pat Yoes for National President (Louisiana), Joe Gamaldi for National Vice President (Texas), James Smallwood for National Treasurer (Tennessee), and Dave Mutchler for National Secretary (Kentucky).

Brother Yoes has served as our National Secretary for many years and has a platform that is focused on inclusiveness among the members that truly would change the current atmosphere and showing that the organization is truly run by the members. Brothers Joe Gamaldi, James Smallwood and Dave Mutchler are young dynamic leaders who work in today’s law enforcement claimant and understand what we go through daily as active law enforcement professionals. They bring a new vision that will lead this organization into the future. We encourage all delegates attending the National Conference to consider voting for all these qualified brothers at our upcoming national conference. For those delegates that wish to purchase the event packet for national conference please visit www.nola2019.org.

In conclusion, we would like to thank all of you for your dedication to this organization and thank all those local lodge leaders who work tirelessly on behalf of all our members. If local lodges have any local concerns that the FOP can assist with, please let us know. The Washington State FOP is the only law enforcement organization in Washington that has a voice both on the state and national stage. The only organization in Washington that is that true “One Voice” for all of Law Enforcement.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police Executive Board, we want to wish all of you a happy and eventful holiday season to you and your families. I would like to express my appreciation to all of you for the hard work you have demonstrated this past year.2018 is coming to a close with mixed feelings on the outlook of Washington state law enforcement. The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police has remained steadfast that the language in Initiative 940 be improved upon at the start of the 2019 Washington state legislative sessions. We believe that this path will be successful, and we look forward to providing an update when these changes are implemented.

Even with the uncertainty of our profession in Washington state, we still have many things to be thankful for during this holiday season. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our families for allowing us to do the great work for this organization and allowing us to be a part of the most respected law enforcement organization in the country. Without their support we would not be able to provide the services to our members and to the community we serve in. I’m also thankful for the growth we have seen this past year and the changes we have seen within our lodge.

This time of year is a perfect time to reflect on our successes. Take pride in the knowledge that the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police will always work on behalf of all of you. We will always advocate for our members and provide services for them and their families. Take pride that we are the only law enforcement organization that allows everyone in law enforcement to be a part of this organization. And finally, take pride in knowing that we are part of the largest law enforcement organization in the country that advocates for our profession as that “one voice” for all of law enforcement.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police Executive Board, I would like to thank all of our Local Lodges for helping make our 11th Biennial Conference a success. The conference was held in Bow, Washington at the Skagit Casino & Resort on October 5th and 6th. This conference was the highest attended conference which shows the hard work and dedication our members have for this organization. I would like to thank Lodge 18 President Jared Couch and his lodge for putting on the conference.

After Executive Board elections were finalized, we saw some changes to our board. Long time Westside Vice President Mike Peterson did not seek reelection. Lodge 27 President, and State Legislative Chairman, James Schrimpsher was elected as our new West Side Vice President. Vice President Schrimpsher was also recognized as our Steve Young Award recipient as our member of the year. I would like to personally thank Brother Mike Peterson for his years of service to the FOP and wish him well in his retirement to Arizona.

There was also a change in our Sgt. At Arms position with the addition of Lodge 18 President Jared Couch being elected as our new Sgt. At Arms. Our previous Sgt. At Arms, Trever Severance, served on our board for almost a decade and worked extremely hard for the members. I would like to thank Brother Severance for his work on behalf of the FOP and look forward to partnering with him as we work on growing this organization.

These next 6 months will be extremely difficult for the law enforcement profession with the upcoming vote on Initiative 940 regarding deadly force. The Washington State FOP has responded through the media that we are against Initiative 940 as written and ask the voters to vote no on the measure in November. We believe the work we did collaboratively to improve on the language should be recognized. Those results, unfortunately, were not upheld in court but the policy as it was written was proper. A vote against I-940 will allow the legislature to enact proper policy that balances public safety and providing proper protections to police officers.

The only way to accomplish a positive result would be to educate the public. We are asking all of our members to help us through social media get the message across to their friends and family that I-940, as written, is bad for public safety. We are urging all of you to like and share our Washington State FOP Facebook page to your friends and family and ask them to do the same. There will be several posts these next 2 weeks in an attempt to educate the public on the issue. This needs to be a collective effort from all of our members on an issue that could have the greatest impact on our profession in our lifetime.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all of the delegates and Executive Board for their trust in me and re-electing me to the Office of President for the next two years. It has been an honor to serve all of you and I will continue to work for the best interest of this organization and for the law enforcement profession.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Executive Board, I would like to give all of you an update on what we have been involved in the past month. The Washington State Lodge sponsored the Steve Young Honor Guard Competition and Tribute in Washington DC during police week. This is the 16th year we have sponsored this event to recognize teams from all over the country who provide honor and services to our fallen brothers and sisters, and their families, in Law Enforcement.

The Honor Guard event is very time consuming and I would like to thank Chairman of Trustees Brian Banner, Past President Ken Roske, National Trustee Jack Simington, Chaplain Chad Peterschick, and lodge 7 members Jamie Raebel, Mike Cobb and Ken Hohenberg for their assistance to make this event successful. I would also like to thank Minnesota State President Matt Hagen and the Minnesota State Lodge for assisting us. It was truly a team effort and shows why fraternalism is alive and well in our organization.

We also discussed with the State Trustees their roles on behalf of the state lodge. To properly grow this organization, we need more individuals engaged to help us achieve our goals. The State Trustees will be that point of contact with their local lodges to help the Executive Board grow with membership, benefits and a pipeline for information to disseminate to our members.

We will be holding a training for all State Trustees Thursday afternoon during State Conference. It is extremely important that our Trustees attend this training. The training will be focused on recruitment and presenting to groups interested in our programs. The more we market and brand what we offer, the more people will be interested in being a part of our organization.

These are exciting times for the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police. We are confident as we invest our resources toward growth, we will see great strides with recruitment and revenue to the State Lodge. As always, we appreciate the support of our members and are excited in what the future will bring to the Washington State Lodge.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Executive Board, we were extremely honored to host our first ever State President’s and National Board of Directors meeting at the Doubletree by Hilton in SeaTac, Washington April 12th through the 14th. We want to express our appreciation to our volunteers from Lodge 27 and Lodge 7 for taking the time to assist the state lodge. Without them we would not have been able to put this event on. We had a lot of positive feedback from leaders throughout the nation and are humble that we had this opportunity.

Members from our State Executive Board also attended Western States last month. Washington State has become more active on a national level, which provides us more exposure and with help with growth within our lodge. The area we have improved the most is with our legislative program both on a state and national level. A delegation attended the National Legislative day on the Hill in Washington DC in February that helped us improve on our relationships with members of Congress as well as our Senators.

On a local level, we have fostered relationships with key legislator in the House and Senate and we worked diligently with our Law Enforcement partners with the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (WACOPS) and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) on key legislation to benefit our brothers and sisters. This includes the passage of SSB 6214, involving PTSD, allows industrial insurance coverage for law enforcement and fire fighters. It is a major win for law enforcement officers who are struggling with the effects of PTSD. SB 6188 (Brady Bill) protects law enforcement officers from punitive action because their name has been placed on a potential impeachment list. The Brady Bill is a benefit to officers statewide and was pushed heavily by WACOPS. On behalf of the Washington State FOP, I would like to express our appreciation to WACOPS and WASPC for the partnership and look forward to working with them next legislative session.

The Washington State Lodge is continuing to sponsor the Steve Young Honor Guard Tribute during police week. Brother Ken Roske was replaced on the Memorial Committee after sitting on the committee for many years. Even though our state was extremely disappointed with this decision, we take pride that the Honor Guard Tribute event has been entirely sponsored by the Washington State Lodge and look forward to our continued support to make this event a success. This was the promise we made to National President Steve Young over 15 years ago.

The Washington State Executive Board is always looking for innovated ideas to improve our brand. To do this, there will be many changes within our organization. Change is a good thing and as we work toward growth, we will be looking forward to working with all of you to improve on this great organization.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Lodge Executive Board, I felt it was imperative to explain the recent events that have been discussed on I-940 regarding deadly force.

Last month, all of the Stakeholder groups to include the Washington State FOP, COMPAS, WACOPS, Troopers Association and WASPC met in Lacey to discuss having a better policy then what I-940 provided. We all agreed that I-940 was bad public policy and that it was up to us to create good policy that provided enough protection against convicting police officers who are forced into a deadly force encounter.

The past several weeks representatives from all organizations met with legislators as well as the individuals who drafted the I-940 language. The meetings were long and tiring. I have to commend Legislative Chairman James Schrimpsher for his work and dedication to Law Enforcement.

Our proposed language removed the word Malice but also created a good faith definition based on the national standard of Graham vs. Connor. This was presented and counter language was offered. The last language provided was from the legislators in the room that was again based around a good faith definition. This new language was reviewed by multiple attorneys as it has always been the FOP position to protect the standard established by Graham. Anything lower we could not support. All of the opinions we received indicated that the language provided was equal if not better than the Graham standard.

Realizing this, the WAFOP could only agree to the language if other issues within the I-940 language were dealt with. This would include paramount first aid and decertification. We also asked that there be a clause put in the bill that all costs accrued would be reimbursed if an officer is acquitted from charges. The WAFOP asked for this language as a deterrent from being prosecuted by someone for political gain. It is my understanding that as of today these issues were addressed. The Washington State FOP reviewed these changes and determined that the best course would be to agree to the alternative bill.

We have fought extremely hard the past 2 years to protect the rights of officers in Washington State and this decision was not made lightly. At the end of the day, we decided that coming up with better policy that provided proper protection to officers was more important than allowing I-940 to be enacted. The Troopers Association and COMPAS did not agree with our stance. The Troopers Association went as far as to put out inaccurate information on why we support the alternate language. These organizations are entitled to their own opinion and we completely respect their decision. We have never, nor will we ever, support the language of I-940. We would never accept anything that would blatantly allow for cops to be charged unjustly. We would never accept any language that changes the bar established by Graham vs. Conner.

Some may also say that we could have fought this in court after I-940 passed. The advice of legal counsel was that we could have an argument but our current law in Washington is above the national standard and would be changed regardless and an officer would have to be charged under the initiative language before any Washington State Fraternal Order of Police www.wafop.com 2839 W. Kennewick Ave #356 – Kennewick WA. 99336 challenges to the language are argued. We felt that having a voice on getting proper protection put us in a much better position than having language forced at us by the initiative or through the court.

At the end of the day, we encourage everyone to look at the bigger picture and ask ourselves if we would allow the language written in I-940 to become law. Through the polling numbers, almost 70% of our citizens believe that it does and support the initiative. Doing nothing would set back public safety for decades and to a point that we may never recover.

The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police has done everything in our power to provide officers the protection and a voice in dealing with deadly force encounters, which our members are entitled to. Officers deserve the right to be able to defend their decision to use deadly force to protect the citizens in the communities we serve. Anything less is dangerous to officers and to the public statewide.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the Washington State Lodge Executive Board, we have been extremely active on behalf of the members. It is an honor to report that the Washington State Lodge has endorsed Dino Rossi in his bid to become the next US Representative for Washington’s 8th Congressional District. Congressman Dave Reichert has decided not to run for another term. Congressman Reichert has been an advocate for Law Enforcement in Washington State and we appreciate his hard work in protecting the rights for officers. Mr. Rossi has large shoes to fill but we believe he would do an outstanding job on behalf of Law Enforcement in Washington.

Legislative Chairman James Schrimpsher and I had a meeting with Governor Inslee on January 13th in Olympia. Governor Inslee requested the meeting with the FOP and other Law Enforcement groups to discuss Initiative I940, which would change the deadly force law in Washington. Our reports are that the Initiative gained enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.

The Washington State Fraternal Order of Police cannot stress enough how important this issue is to all of Law Enforcement. The purpose of this initiative is not about additional training, but its sole purpose is to change the law in order to prosecute police officers for making split-second decisions in the course of their duties. It will take a unified effort with all of our members and our Stakeholder partners in order to defeat the initiative.

As we move forward into 2018, my hope is that we will remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice here in Washington State. Brothers like Pierce County Deputy Daniel McCartney, who is leaving us far before his time. May we keep his family, friends and all of his brothers and sisters in the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office in our thoughts and prayers as they try to heal and move forward without one of Law Enforcements finest here in Washington State.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Welcome to the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) and our official web site. The new website has been created in an effort to keep our members better informed and up to date on local, state and national information that affect law enforcement officers and their families. This website is the ONE VOICE for law enforcement officers in Washington State.

The WAFOP represents over 3,400 law enforcement officers in the state and directly associated with the National FOP with over 364,000 members. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest professional law enforcement organization in the nation. Our legislative efforts in Washington D.C. and Olympia are largely successful because of the unprecedented national membership and the only professional law enforcement organization that represents all law enforcement, regardless of rank or agency. Our motto is “Cops helping Cops."

On this website you will find a host of benefits for members and their families. These are unparalleled and available because of our commitment to provide the very best for law enforcement officers and our members. We strive to have these benefits available for the choosing and with an ala-carte selection for the most part.

Our commitment to helping law enforcement officers in a time of need is very important to us. You will notice a number of programs that we actively participate in to see that we are ready when help is needed. Our support of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial, CISM and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington D.C. are just a few of the programs we support.

Of course seeing to the welfare of those not as fortunate in our communities is at the core of public service and what we, as a profession, stand for. Simply said, we are very committed to programs that help the less fortunate especially kids, with Special Olympics being near and dear to our hearts.

On behalf of the members in Washington State, and the 335,000 of our closest brothers and sisters across the nation, we appreciate you visiting our web site and thank you for your support.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco
State President

Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you may be aware that the legislative session ended with no change to the Use of Deadly Force law. The Washington State Lodge and the Legislative Committee have worked tirelessly to provide the legislature with information pertaining to our position. After many discussions, it was apparent that any agreement on changing the deadly force language could not be agreed upon. The Washington State Executive Board would like to put out a special thank you to our Legislative Committee and our Lobbyist Carl Burke for their work on our behalf.

With this successful outcome, we will now have to change our focus toward the Initiative that has been filed to change the language. The Washington State Lodge cannot stress enough the importance of all the members of the Washington State FOP to become knowledgeable on this issue, as it affects our profession and potentially our livelihood. It will take all of us to come up with ideas to successfully beat the initiative geared around changing the Deadly Force Law.

The Fraternal Order of Police National Conference in Nashville is quickly upon us. We have a large delegation going to represent Washington State. Our delegates will be united as we communicate the issues that affect Washington Law Enforcement. Rest assured, we will take an active role on national issues that could impact our State Lodge.

Most of you may have seen on social media that our brothers and sisters in Mason County are fighting for their jobs due to extreme budget cuts that were imposed on the Sherriff’s office. The potential impact would be a reduction of deputies, due to layoffs, that would be detrimental to their citizens. The Washington State Lodge sent a letter, on behalf of the local lodge, voicing our concerns and asking the County Commissioners to reconsider cuts in the Sherriff’s office. The National FOP also sent letters in an effort to minimize the impact. The Washington State Executive Board encourages all of our members to keep our brothers and sisters in Mason County in your thoughts and prayers.

As always, the Washington State Executive board appreciates the hard work our members do on behalf of the organization. Without your dedication, our State Lodge would not have a reputation of professionalism we have established throughout the nation. We may be considered a small lodge, but your efforts allow us to have an enormous voice on the national level.

Respectfully,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to take a moment to update all of you on the recent activity with the Washington State Lodge. We have had an extremely busy couple of months on a State and National level and your Executive Board has worked hard to promote our State Lodge.

National Trustee Jack Simington and I attended the President's meeting and the National Board meeting in Peoria, Illinois. We were able to network with other State Lodge leaders as well as our National Officers on issues pertaining to Washington State. One of our major concerns involved the moratorium with Labor Services which they stopped accepting groups under 5 members. Our Executive Board felt that this decision would impact our recruitment efforts in our state.

I was fortunate to attend Western States in Long Beach to voice this same concern with our National Officers. Because of the impact facing our state with this decision, Treasurer Olson and I attended the Labor Committee meeting in Nashville. This was a positive meeting as the Committee recommended that we accept all groups that are interested in Labor Services. That recommendation was approved by the National Executive Board. I would like to thank National 2nd Vice President Les Neri for his assistance with supporting our stance on this issue and voicing his opposition with the moratorium.

Our recruitment efforts have skyrocketed since the beginning of the year. We have had several presentations throughout the state and has sparked interest in several programs we offer. I personally would like to thank our Labor Representatives, Leo Paiton and Buster Mcgehee, for their hard work on the behalf of our members. I would also like to thank Russ Bong, State Eastside Vice President Bill Splawn, State Westside Vice President Mike Peterson, State Secretary Steve Dills, State Sgt. At Arms Trever Severance, Lodge 27 President James Schrimpsher, Lodge 7 President Scott Warren and Lodge 18 President Jared Couch for their recruitment efforts on behalf of the State Lodge.

During Police Week, members of Washington State went to Washington DC and assisted with the festivities to honor our fallen brothers and sisters throughout the nation. I would like to thank Past President Ken Roske for his commitment, as a member of the Memorial Committee, in making this event memorable for the families that lost a loved one.

Washington State plays a huge part in the success of this event. Without the hard work of our Washington State Delegation the program would not be as successful. Our delegation represented Washington State honorably and helped provide the service to those families that lost someone close to them. Men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. They were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. Individuals that served honorably in the communities they lived in.

As we go forward in our careers in Law Enforcement, may we all remember those that made the supreme sacrifice. Our brothers and sisters that left this earth far too soon who died protecting us, our citizens, and our way of life.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Brothers and Sisters,

We are entering a very busy part of the year and the Washington State Executive Board continues to represent our state throughout Washington and on a National Level. We recently had several members attend the National FOP Day on the Hill event. Washington State met with most of our elected officials about issues that we face in Washington but also on a national level. All of our elected officials acknowledged our presence and were appreciative with our organization taking the time to meet with them.

We continue to take an active role in the legislature on the state level. We have attended several meetings with Senators and House Representatives on the Deadly Force concerns. We even had a meeting with the Governor’s Staff that allowed us to voice our concerns and address with them our position on this issue.

National Trustee Jack Simington and I will be attending the State President and National Board meetings in Peoria Illinois March 30th through April 1st. Washington State has some concerns that we will be addressing involving our Labor program’s exclusion of departments less than 5 members from obtaining labor coverage from the FOP. All new groups that are looking for coverage but have less than 5 members are unable to obtain coverage. We have been involved in several conversations on this topic as we feel this could greatly impact our recruitment in Washington. The Grand Lodge realizes this impact and has asked the Labor Committee to come up with ideas on what we can do for these groups.

We are fortunate that the Grand Lodge has recognized the need for Washington State to have representation on the Labor Services Committee. State Treasurer Jeff Olson has been appointed to represent Washington on the Committee. Treasurer Olson has been on this Committee in the past and has the experience to make a huge impact on behalf of Washington.

The State Executive Board has worked with members of our Recruitment Committee to provide presentations to several groups looking at the benefits that the Fraternal Order of Police provides. These efforts will help the Washington State Lodge continue to grow in membership.

On behalf of the entire Washington State Executive Board, I want to thank all of you for what you do on behalf of the FOP. Without member involvement, the State Lodge would not be fortunate enough to see the amazing growth in Washington. Our growth and professionalism haven’t gone unnoticed on the National level. It is a testament to all of you that our members truly understand what the motto “Cops helping Cops” truly means.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP

Welcome to the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) and our official web site. The new website has been created in an effort to keep our members better informed and up to date on local, state and national information that affect law enforcement officers and their families. This website is the ONE VOICE for law enforcement officers in Washington State.

The WAFOP represents over 3,400 law enforcement officers in the state and directly associated with the National FOP with over 364,000 members. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest professional law enforcement organization in the nation. Our legislative efforts in Washington D.C. and Olympia are largely successful because of the unprecedented national membership and the only professional law enforcement organization that represents all law enforcement, regardless of rank or agency. Our motto is “Cops helping Cops."

On this website you will find a host of benefits for members and their families. These are unparalleled and available because of our commitment to provide the very best for law enforcement officers and our members. We strive to have these benefits available for the choosing and with an ala-carte selection for the most part.

Our commitment to helping law enforcement officers in a time of need is very important to us. You will notice a number of programs that we actively participate in to see that we are ready when help is needed. Our support of the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial, CISM and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington D.C. are just a few of the programs we support.

Of course seeing to the welfare of those not as fortunate in our communities is at the core of public service and what we, as a profession, stand for. Simply said, we are very committed to programs that help the less fortunate especially kids, with Special Olympics being near and dear to our hearts.

On behalf of the members in Washington State, and the 335,000 of our closest brothers and sisters across the nation, we appreciate you visiting our web site and thank you for your support.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco
State President

Brothers and Sisters,

The State Lodge held it's fall/winter board meeting this weekend and I wanted to pass a few important pieces of information onto you.

We have closed the physical location of the state office. This is due to Jeanette's retirement. The new email contact for the state lodge will be statelodge@wafop.com. Your phone calls will be answered by an answering service and forwarded to the appropriate Eboard member. Please be patient as we work the details out.

Vice President Mike Peterson and Vice President Bill Splawn will be working with the local lodges in their area of the state to make sure you have a smooth point of contact between the state and local lodges. Please provide them with a speedy reply when they reach out to you.

We have worked through a merger with the National Legal Defense Plan. Starting in January the state lodge will no longer offer the state legal plan. We will merge all of our plan members to the national plan. This will come with increased overage and an rate of $20 a month group or $21.50 individual. Each member that has the state plan will receive an email soon advising of the change.

Please start your planning for the National Conference. Airfare is reasonable now and if you know who your delegates are, you may want to purchase flights. The dates are August 12th to the 15th. Delegate need to arrive Sunday (the 11th) and not depart until after 3pm on Thursday. This year the conference will be in Cincinnati Oh. More information will follow and details on cost sharing with the state lodge are being finalized.

The State Lodge is going to liquidate our 2001 15 passenger van. Lodge 7 ask offered to buy it from us and take over maintenance and insurance. They have offered to have it available for state lodge events if we need it. The State E-board has approved this purchase but we wanted to make sure another lodge was not interested in purchasing it as well. If your lodge is interested (no individual sale) please reply to me by Monday November 26th.

Fraternally,
Marco Monteblanco, President
Washington State FOP