Page 14 - East BlueNote July August 2018

25 Year Retirement Option…
Continued from p. 12

would then be multiplied by the officer’s years of service to get the officer’s retirement pay. Local law
enforcement officers would continue to use the current percentage of 1.85% of the officer’s average final
compensation to cal-culate their retirement pay.

Take note, however, that the monthly retirement benefit for an officer retiring with only 25 years of creditable

service will be less than the monthly retirement benefit for an officer retiring after 30 years of creditable service

because the officer would be working fewer years and therefore would receive less retirement money per month.

That is why the FOP has always sought an unreduced benefit after 25 years.

Now, here is the kicker. This bill also allows, but does not require, any State or local government employer to
offer a lump sum buyout of an officer’s Special Separation Allowance if the officer chooses to take a
reduced retirement (such as the 25 year retirement option). The lump sum buyout by the employer would not

be able to exceed the total amount of money the officer would normally have received in special separation

allowance pay-ments had the officer stayed for a full 30-year retirement.

Regretfully, the better bill was never heard in committee, likely due to its costs. (Senate Bill 284 has a
neutral impact – and a possible gain – on either retirement system.)

HOPE Act Signed by Governor
By Jeff Gray – FOP Legislative Agent

On May 30th Representatives Greg Murphy and Craig a group Attorney General Stein convened to coordinate

Horn and Senators Jim Davis and Tom McInnis were and support the efforts of local, state, and federal law en-

joined by Attorney General Josh Stein and several Chiefs forcement authorities to confront the opioid epidemic.

of Police and Sheriffs, to announce the HOPE Act, for- The group includes representatives from more than 30
mally known as the “Heroin and Opioid Prevention and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and or-
Enforcement Act.” The intent is to strengthen law en- ganizations and meets quarterly to address these issues,

forcement efforts to confront the opioid crisis and is con- and includes longtime FOP member Chief Bill Hol-

sidered by the bill sponsors as an extension of the STOP lingsed from Waynesville.

Act authorized by House Bill 243 in 2017. Recognizing 2017’s Strengthen Opioid Misuse Pre-

Every day three North Carolinians die of an opioid vention (or “STOP”) Act, Attorney General Stein stated,

overdose, and more land in emergency rooms or are hos- “There is no single answer that will end the opioid crisis.

pitalized. All across the state, prescription drugs are be- We have to constantly look for ways to reduce supply

ing diverted from legal to illegal channels, while large- and demand of these dangerous drugs. Last year, this

scale heroin, Fentanyl, and other deadly drug trafficking group worked together to reduce over-prescription so

also occurs. Together, these illegal crimes are fueling a that fewer people become addicted and fewer pills are in

deadly crisis. Prescription drug misuse is a gateway to circulation. . . . The HOPE Act focuses on smart enforce-

heroin and Fentanyl abuse. Nearly 80% of Americans ment to stop the spread of these deadly drugs on our
using heroin report misusing prescription opioids first streets.”

according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. As stated by Senator McInnis at the press conference

A growing number of street gangs – some from as far announcing the bill, “Families all across this state are

away as New Jersey and Chicago - operate roving pre- dealing with the tragedy of losing children, parents, sib-

scription fraud rings that deploy homeless persons and lings, and friends. We owe it to them to take every step
others desperate for cash to fill hundreds of fraudulent possible to stop the spread of these deadly drugs.”

scripts. The gangs then sell these diverted drugs on the To view video of the press conference, visit www.fa-

street at a huge profit. cebook.com/NCDOJ/.

Law enforcement authorities are too often hobbled by To speed these needed changes along, the bill sponsors

limited manpower and resources, outdated laws, and un- gutted a bill, Senate Bill 616, that passed the Senate in
necessary delays in obtaining mission-critical infor- 2017 but not the House in a process called a “PCS” or

mation. Proposed Committee Substitute thereby creating a whole

This legislation comes as a result of the work done by new bill. This bill will:

the North Carolina Law Enforcement Opioid Task Force, Continued on Pg. 16

www.ncfop.org 14