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2021 NATIONAL FOP BIENNIAL CONFERENCE REPORT
Political Statements
Elected officials come to the conference to confirm support for the police
n BY KAREN JENKINS
Repeated statements of “We back the blue” echoed through the crowd at the Indianapolis Convention Center, a testament that is expected at the opening ceremonies of the National FOP Confer- ence in a room of hundreds of members.
But when coming from the mouth of Senator Todd Young of Indiana, that expression of appreciation suddenly held more weight.
“I thank you for your uncommon valor during what is an in- credibly challenging time for our nation, but in particular for our law enforcement professionals,” the senator expressed as he spoke during the opening ceremonies on Aug. 16. “Let me be crystal clear: You put your lives on the line every single day to the people of this state, and an overwhelming majority of Americans stand behind you.”
Young addressed the political division in the country regarding law enforcement and reassured that he, along with other elected officials in attendance at the conference, stands behind the Na- tional FOP’s mission of protecting officers at all costs.
He shared that he was part of the group that introduced the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act that was signed into law in January 2018, which provides accessible mental health services to officers. This past year, Young also reintroduced the Cops Counseling Act to ensure confidentiality for federal law en- forcement officers seeking peer counseling.
“I know it’s hard being a police officer these days, very hard,” Young affirmed. “I’ve spent a lot of time over the years with our men and women in blue, and I’ve seen the stresses of the job in- tensify over the years. They really, frankly, reached a fever pitch over the last year-plus.”
Joseph Hogsett, the 49th mayor of Indianapolis, joined Young for the charged opening ceremony speech. Since taking office in 2016, Hogsett’s focus has been on preventing crime, protecting taxpayers and creating opportunities for working families, as well as investing Indianapolis’ resources back into neighborhoods.
As he welcomed rank-and-file officers to Indianapolis, he em- phasized his commitment, as an elected official, to stand behind the police force.
“We are providing historic levels of funding to expand our ci- vilian law enforcement teams so that our sworn officers are not stuck with traffic runs and paperwork,” Hogsett explained. “De- mands and expectations our city has of its police force are very high, and I know every officer wants it that way. They expect it to be that way. That is what draws them to law enforcement. And that’s why I’m glad our city can be the one that hosts this biennial conference, the first since the start of the pandemic.”
Young further agreed that the demands on law enforcement are extremely high and dove into a story about the despair he felt in July after learning about the targeted attack on fallen Officer Gregory Ferency.
He shared that he will never rest when putting legislation in place to support officers, especially when dealing with criminals who have blatant disregard for the law.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was one of several elected officials who came to the National FOP Conference to express deep and passionate sup- port for police officers.
“Let me say it again: Thank you for your service,” he proclaimed. “As much as I’m honored to speak to this esteemed group here to- day from across this great nation, I’ve had the difficult job, as so many of you have, of thanking not just the men and women who have survived attacks, but of consoling a fallen officer’s grieving widow or confused child.”
By the end of the presentation, Young and Hogsett established themselves as firm supporters of law enforcement in the political space. But this year’s national conference had one more speaker ready to elevate the support even higher.
On Day Two of the conference, National President Pat Yoes an- nounced that a surprise special guest would be coming on the stage. To rousing chants of “U-S-A” from the crowd, Florida Gov- ernor Ron DeSantis took the podium. He discussed many mea- sures Florida has taken to back its blue, including a groundbreak- ing Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act he signed following the civil unrest last summer to avoid mob violence, and the im- mense success they found in the state government by refusing to defund the police.
“We work with local leaders. We said, ‘It’s not happening in Florida,’ and you know what? You didn’t see a city burn down in Florida, because we weren’t going to let it happen,” he shared. “I can say that we’re supportive of law enforcement, but we need to back that up with additional laws. So several months ago, I was able to sign the strongest pro–law enforcement anti-rioting law in the country, and we were very proud of doing that.”
DeSantis spoke as part of the City of Miami Police Department’s formal bid to host the 2025 National FOP Conference, which was ultimately awarded to them. As he wrapped up, DeSantis left at- tendees with one final promise.
“We’ve done a lot [in Florida]. We have so much more to do, and I have been fighting, but I’ve really only begun to fight,” DeSantis charged. “I ain’t backing down an inch. I’m not going to move. When I got your back, I got your back. You can write that down and take it to the bank. It doesn’t matter what the political wings do. It doesn’t matter what the media says. You know I’m there for you.”