International Brotherhood of Police Officers
The International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO) is a significant multijurisdictional union representing law enforcement officers in the United States. Founded in 1964 after the dismissal of seven Rhode Island police officers, the IBPO aims to protect the rights of police personnel by negotiating fair contracts and advocating for improved working conditions. The union is affiliated with major organizations, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the AFL-CIO, and boasts a membership of approximately 14,000 officers as of 2004.
One of the primary functions of the IBPO is to provide legal representation to its members, assisting them in various legal matters, including civil service issues and labor relations. The union also engages in lobbying efforts at both the federal and state levels, achieving notable successes such as securing a death benefit for the families of officers who lose their lives in the line of duty. Additionally, the IBPO has initiated the Committee on Political Education (COPE), which aims to combat legislation perceived as detrimental to workers' rights. Overall, the IBPO plays a crucial role in advocating for the interests of police officers across the nation.
International Brotherhood of Police Officers
IDENTIFICATION: Large, multijurisdictional union of law-enforcement officers
SIGNIFICANCE: The International Brotherhood of Police Officers, or IBPO, is one of the leading organizations serving as a legal watchdog for the rights of police officers. It works to win police officers fair and equitable contracts and better working conditions, and it lobbies for legislation that assists police work.
The IBPO is one of the largest police officer unions in the United States. It is presently affiliated with two other large unions, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the AFL-CIO. Affiliated with the National Association of Government Employees since 1970, the IBPO was founded after seven Rhode Island police officers were fired in 1964 when they protested a promotional examination for which answers had been previously circulated. The fired officers succeeded in persuading the Rhode Island legislature to allow police officers in the state to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining. The first local was formed, and other affiliates for officers in different states followed soon thereafter. By 2004, the organization claimed a national membership of approximately 14,000 officers.
The union focuses on several specific services that it provides its members. It negotiates contracts, and attorneys are provided who have successfully represented members before civil service commissions and all levels of courts and labor-relations boards. The union’s full-time lobbying staff in Washington, D.C., and state capitals has had many notable achievements, including Senate approval of a death benefit presently set at $250,000 for family members of officers killed in the line of duty. The lobbying arm of the IBPO has also begun an initiative called the Committee on Political Education (COPE), funded by IBPO members and designed to fight anti-employee legislation.
Bibliography
Bennet, W., and Karen Hess. Management and Supervision in Law Enforcement. 4th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2004.
Miller, L., and Karen Hess. Police in the Community: Strategies for the Twenty-first Century. 3d ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2002.
Serpico, Frank. "Penetrating the Police Brotherhood." Politico, 22 Oct. 2016, www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/10/police-apology-minority-communities-214381/. Accessed 5 July 2024.
Shim, Jennifer. "DPS Union Signs New Contract with University, Sergeants Form Separate Union." The Brown Daily Herald, 21 Sept. 2023, www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/09/dps-union-signs-new-contract-with-university-sergeants-form-separate-union. Accessed 7 July 2024.