Page 33 - September 2019 FOP Newsletter

ington that officers don’t have to stand back and take the verbal abuse that’s so prevalent throughout social media,” she noted.
Like some delegates, Marialisa Ford, who has been on for 33 years and is currently the FOP rep at the academy, got caught up in the fraternalism the conference perpetuates.
“The most I get out of it is being with police officers all over the country. I like to hear that we’re all united,” she detailed. “Another important thing is the sisterhood and brotherhood – having people you can turn to for advice and direction. Peo- ple who can mentor you. There’s nothing more important than that.”
Tim Fitzpatrick, a rep in 019 who has been on for 21 years, revealed how impacted he was by being able to see how the FOP is working behind the scenes to, among other objectives, makes officers’ lives safer and ensure that pensions are funded. He was also motivated about the continuous call from national FOP leaders about their intention to change the public perception and narrative about the police.
“I was really impressed by the motivation and energy about using social media,” Fitzpatrick added. “Social media is some- thing we can control. By controlling it, we can get a positive message out there and show everybody that we’re really doing our job and we’re doing a great job of it.”
At the end of the days, there was so much evidence about how many people are on the side of law enforcement. Between the past FOP leadership, the new leadership and the support com- ing from government leaders in Washington, D.C., it’s clear that actions are being taken to support the role of police officers in the criminal justice system.
Past Lodge 7 President Mark Donahue, who represented the Chicago FOP as a trustee and has been to many of these con-
Members of the Chicago Lodge 7 delegation at the 64th National FOP Bi- ennial Conference.
ferences, observed how such actions should be of particular importance to members for the way they impact the safety, se- curity and civil liberties of all people protected by the criminal justice system. Donahue also saw evidence about how the im- pact of the organization has evolved.
“What most of the membership doesn’t realize is the scope of what the FOP does for law enforcement in this country, from supporting members all the way up to the representation they receive on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.,” Dona- hue explained. “And we have a new level of leadership that’s go- ing to bring us further into the mainstream in representation of law enforcement in the U.S.”
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2019 33