Page 11 - WEST FOP BlueNote Nov-Dec 2017 Issue NEW FINAL

Grand Lodge Update
By Dennis McCrary – NC National Trustee

The Grand Lodge has been fairly busy since our of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Se-
last BlueNote update. I will discuss some of the issues curity and Veterans Affairs, and then develop model pol-

that have been dealt with mostly by our National icies which could be adopted by State, local and tribal
President.
law enforcement agencies. It also authorizes the estab-

National President Chuck Canterbury and Jim lishment of pilot peer mentoring programs using Federal
Pasco, Senior Advisor to the National President, met grants.

with: "Our officers wear protective clothing and other

• R. Alexander Acosta, Secretary for the U.S. De- equipment to keep themselves safe from physical harm,
partment of Labor, to discuss law enforcement but these officers also face challenges to their mental
health and well-being. Unlike many other professions,
• pension and retirement benefits as well as di- sometimes you can't leave the job at the office,” Canter-
• versity issues; bury said. “The FOP has been a leader on mental well-
ness for law enforcement officers and we believe we can
John M. Gore, Deputy Assistant Attorney Gen- provide better support for the men and women behind the
eral in the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. De- badge. We are proud to support the Law Enforcement
partment of Justice (DOJ) and his Chief of Staff Mental Health and Wellness Act and look forward to get-
and Counsel, J. Benjamin Aguinaga, along with ting this bill to the President's desk."
J. Vincent Canales, Maryland State Lodge Pres-
ident, and John W. Teletchea, President of Mar- The FOP continues to have an excellent working re-
yland Lodge #89, to discuss the ongoing inves- lationship with the current administration and those that
tigation; they have appointed to help lead our nation. We have of-
ten seen comments of support from especially President
Representative Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), Trump and Attorney General Sessions. This has been
Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, very refreshing considering the lack of support for law
along with Clarence E. Cox III and Dwayne A. enforcement that we had suffered in the recent past.
Crawford, the National President and Executive
Director respectively of the National Organiza- President Canterbury wrote a letter to the NFL and
tion of Black Law Enforcement Executives released it to the press calling on the NFL and NFL Play-
(NOBLE) to discuss police-community rela- ers Association to sit down with the FOP and discuss
tions, law enforcement pension and retirement some current day issues. The goal would be to develop
benefit issues and other issues of mutual con- programs that will unite us and deescalate violence and

cern. Representatives Andre Carson (D-IN), rhetoric. We have worked with the players association in
James E. Clyburn (D-SC), Valdez V. Demings the past to advance common interests and would wel-
(D-FL) and Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) also come a chance to do so again.
participated.
As most of you know I serve as Chairman of the Na-

tional Disaster Assistance Committee for the Grand
President Canterbury announced that the House Com- Lodge. We continue to get applications for assistance
mittee on the Judiciary favorably reported H.R. 2228, the from our members in especially Texas, Louisiana and
"Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act."
“We helped develop this legislation late last Congress Florida. These areas were devastated by some of the
worse storms that the US has seen in recent years. Please
and it passed the Senate as S. 867 in May,” Canterbury continue to keep these members in your thoughts and
said. “We’re very pleased to have worked with Chair- prayers. Any lodge that would like to donate to the Dis-

man Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers to move aster Assistance Fund can make checks out to the FOP
this bill through Committee in an effort to improve the
mental health and wellness of our nation’s police offic- Grand Lodge Foundation and send to the national office
ers.” in Nashville.

I was honored to help represent the NCFOP along
The legislation directs the U.S. Attorney General to with several other members at the NC Supreme Court on
identify existing mental health and wellness programs, October 10. The case that was argued was Tully vs. the
especially those administered by the U.S. Departments
Continued on P. 17

www.ncfop.org 11