Page 30 - September 2019 FOP Newsletter

64th National FOP Biennial Conference * Aug. 12-15, New Orleans
Can’t-Miss Conference
National FOP delivers much-needed words of encouragement and important challenges for members at biennial gathering
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
The army of Chicago Lodge 7 delegates to the 64th Nation- al FOP Biennial Conference marched along Julia Street toward the New Orleans Convention Center on this Monday morning. The convention center lobby and hall resembled O’Hare during a busy travel day. Lots of people moving in all directions, but not quite as many lines. Finding a seat on the conference floor necessitated arriving early, for there was so much exhilaration waiting to unfold.
Later that morning, U.S. Attorney General William Barr ad- vocated in his keynote address ensuring ample budgets to fund good compensation, full force levels, sufficient equipment and adequate training. Past Chicago Lodge 7 and past national pres- ident John Dineen reminded all members to demand pension funding during his remarks to the masses. And New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell stood in front of the conference as a par- agon of how a city leader supports its police.
Such words of encouragement filled three days of speeches that honored the importance and prominence of being a police officer and an FOP member, especially in the face of the current
30 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2019
law enforcement world’s relentless challenges. Presentations from National FOP executive board members, trustees and committee chairs validated the need and effort put into serving membership that has reached an all-time high of 349,621 active and retired officers and increased the organization’s Facebook likes by 403 percent during the past three years.
Equal parts celebration, education, inspiration and moti- vation made it a week to remember for the Lodge 7 delegates attending. The week culminated with a riveting election of a new executive board that is fired up to lead law enforcement through its most important era ever. Throughout the week, the view from the conference floor revealed how much is going on to support and help law enforcement.
“The national message is bringing the pride back to law en- forcement and the motivation for officers that their work is val- ued and they are viewed as professionals,” interpreted Michael Hayes, a Lodge 7 member and conference delegate who works in the department’s Integrity section. “I wish all Lodge 7 mem- bers could hear this to see that the national is working hard for them to fight for rights, both employment-wise and also in the work they do on the streets.”