Page 31 - September Issue

1979- 1981. “I think professionalism,” Dineen relates. “We got out there and
showed we were not just a bunch of thugs in blue. People seemed to be pointing that finger at us, but we showed we could be officer friendly and established a nationwide identity for police officers.”
To further understand the identity, take a look the FOP Star. The five corners were designed to remind of the allegiance to the flag and is a symbol of the authority entrusted to officers, and the blue field of course represents the thin blue line.
But here’s where the definition comes through: The white back- ground stands for the purity under which members serve; an open eye signifies the vigilance of always looking out for those you protect; and clasped hands denote the friendship that is always extended to those in need of comfort. The circle surrounding the star indicates the never-ending effort to promote welfare, and within the half circle are the words “Jus, Fidus, Libertatum” or “Law is a Safeguard of Freedom.”
An organization of such prominence boasts great leaders, or maybe vice versa. Canterbury is the second longest sitting president, now in his 16th year. Jack Dudek of Cleveland served atop the FOP from 1946- 65, and the FOP has also been blessed with men like Dewey Stokes from Columbus, Ohio who served as president form 1987-95 and then catapulted to become an elected official.
Canterbury tags Dineen, who served just one term, as exemplifying the essence of the FOP. “John left to go home because he had the chance to negotiate a contract for Chicago,” Canterbury adds. “The beauty of the FOP is that it all starts at the local level.”
Dineen said that the major accomplishment of his term was creat- ing a series of seminars to teach collective bargaining that helped give officers in right-to-work states in the South the same voice they had in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Michigan.
As the voice amplified, Canterbury says that FOP members became well-respected people in the business of law enforcement. “We weren’t necessary liked by everybody,” he continues, “but we were
correct enough that they had to listen to us.”
The voice led to such accomplishments as a national bullet-proof vest program, which Canterbury says management didn’t want to pay for until FOP reps showed that vests were much cheaper than the cost of replacing fallen officers. And in 1994, the FOP lobby helped a senator from Delaware named Joe Biden pass the Violent Crime Con- trol and Law Enforcement Act that put 100,000 addi- tional officers on the street and led to a reduction in vio- lent crime that still exists. The FOP has also been very active in helping to pass prominent legislation to increase safety, including the national seatbelt safety law.
Fundamentally, little has changed with the FOP in 100 years. What compelled Martin and Delbert to step up in 1915 is the same cause that will keep members battling Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich in their efforts to take away collective bargaining, and solve the problems many states are having with funding law enforcement pensions.
“We realize there is strength in numbers and only through unity do we accomplish anything,” Canterbury reminds. “Our goal has always been to improve the working conditions for cops and protect the cit- izens of our community. Sometimes, it can be a lofty goal, but I don’t think it will ever change.”
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