Blue View by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

The United States is experiencing a real crisis with the level of violence directed at our law enforcement officers. It's unlike anything we've seen in the past 30 years. We’ve seen more than 300 law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty this year and we’re on pace with last year, which saw the highest number of officers shot since the FOP started recording it. To make matters worse, acros...

The Social Security Fairness Act is the number one legislative priority for the FOP. Because of current Social Security law, millions of retired police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other government employees face as much as a 60% cut to their Social Security benefits. The FOP has been fighting for decades to repeal the WEP and GPO, the two provisions that unfairly target so many Americans...

In life, it’s often important to understand and empathize with those who you may have disagreements with. Within law enforcement, this lack of understanding can have life or death consequences. On this episode of the Blue View, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Jason Lehman, Founder and Executive Director of Why’d You Stop Me (WYSM). His organization, rather uniquely, gives speaki...

Domestic violent extremism has become one of the biggest threats to law enforcement and members of the public. In the past few years, individuals affiliated with anti-government and white supremacist groups have attacked houses of worship, grocery stores, demonstrations, and even law enforcement officers themselves. As a result, combating domestic violent extremism is a priority for law enforcemen...

Domestic violent extremism has become one of the biggest threats to law enforcement and members of the public. In the past few years, individuals affiliated with anti-government and white supremacist groups have attacked houses of worship, grocery stores, demonstrations, and even law enforcement officers themselves. As a result, combating domestic violent extremism is a priority for law enforcemen...

“Why’d you stop me?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions people have when stopped by the police. There is a violent confrontation between the police and a community member EVERY hour in our country. This violence often stems from a lack of understanding and mistrust for the police. It is crucial that we educate our future leaders in the community about policing in order to promote p...

“Why’d you stop me?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions people have when stopped by the police. There is a violent confrontation between the police and a community member EVERY hour in our country. This violence often stems from a lack of understanding and mistrust for the police. It is crucial that we educate our future leaders in the community about policing in order to promote p...

September 11th, 2001 is a day that will never be forgotten. On that day, 2,977 Americans were killed in a series of horrific terrorist attacks. Thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders would die in the ensuing years because of their exposure to toxic substances they faced at ground zero. The attacks had a profound impact on American law enforcement, from forcing many state...

Leveraging the diversity of this great nation has become an important aspect of running a successful law enforcement agency. When members of the public believe their law enforcement organizations represent them, understand them, and respond to them; and when communities perceive authorities as fair, legitimate, and accountable, it enhances trust in law enforcement and instills public confidence in...

Community engagement is a guiding principle that seeks to develop strong ties and relationships in a community between law enforcement and the people they have sworn to protect. On this episode of the Blue View, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Reverend Markel Hutchins , a long-time activist, human and civil rights leader, professional speaker, and a friend to the FOP. Reverend H...

Last year was one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement in recent history due to the increase of violence directed towards law enforcement officers. In 2021, 346 officers were shot in the line of duty, 63 of whom were killed by gunfire. This included 133 officers who were shot in 107 ambush-style attacks—an increase of 115% from 2020. Thirty-two of those officers ambushed were killed. De...

Over the past few years, we’ve seen the election of rogue prosecutors and activist judges who have replaced the “public safety first” mindset with a very different and harmful agenda of reforming the system under the guise of social justice. Their failed policies have had drastic effects on our society, leading to an increase in violent crime in some of our most vulnerable communities.   On this e...

The rule of law, policing and public service are key to a free society. Many of the issues we have been facing here in the United States are being felt by law enforcement around the world, including by our brothers and sisters in Canada.   On this episode of the Blue View, National FOP President  Patrick Yoes  sits down with  Tom Stamatakis , President of the Canadian Police Association and Chairm...

From helping secure our border to apprehending a dangerous fugitive across state lines, the partnerships between federal law enforcement and their state and local counterparts are critical to keeping the nation and its citizens safe. On this episode of the Blue View, we’re joined by ATF Deputy Director Marvin Richardson, who has been the highest-ranking official at ATF for the past few years. As A...

Incorporating multiple viewpoints and subject matter expertise towards effective and efficient solutions is critical, especially when it comes to training America's law enforcement officers. The Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, better known as CRI-TAC, provides critical and tailored technical assistance resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement...

For the past several years, the FOP has been sounding the alarm about the nationwide surge in crime. All across the country, our communities are seeing the real-life, and often deadly, consequences of rogue prosecutors failing to hold violent, repeat criminals accountable. When rogue prosecutors like George Gascon in Los Angeles, Kim Foxx in Chicago, and Larry Krasner in Philadelphia choose to han...

Law enforcement officers are ordinary people called to do extraordinary things at times. They are human beings who are not immune to experiencing a range of emotions that can come due to the nature of this profession. Often times, you hear that law enforcement officers were called to do what they do. But the real question is “Who does the calling?” The physical and mental wellness of law enforceme...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is responsible for defending our country at the border and throughout the interior. To do so, DHS has over 240,000 employees, with more that 140,000 are in law enforcement positions. The Department of Homeland Security was established in the aftermath of the devastating and disturbing September 11th attacks that sent shockwaves through every American. We wi...

The quality of life in every community is directly related to the trust and cooperation we have with those we serve. Each component is a spoke in a wheel that functions best when our officers are working in conjunction with the public. These partnerships cannot be over invested. On this episode of the Blue View, we are going to discuss an initiative that fosters a partnership with the communities...

National Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Joe Gamaldi joined Fox News’ America's Newsroom to discuss looming crisis of recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers across the country as well as the deadly consequences of rogue prosecutors and activist judges.

An important member of the law enforcement family, often undervalued, is a K9 partner. These partners assist law enforcement in numerous ways including narcotic operations, inspecting vehicles, collecting evidence, assisting in missing person cases, and rescue operations. On this episode of the Blue View, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with James Craigmyle, a former dual purpose K9...

All across the country, our communities are seeing the real-life consequences of unchecked crime. After 9 people were shot at a mall in South Carolina, police arrested a 22-year-old suspect, but he was quickly released after he paid 10% of a $25,000 bond. In Los Angeles, a gang member was thrilled to learn that District Attorney George Gascon was downgrading his murder charges. The convicted kille...

The rule of law is the principle that no one is exempt from the law, even those who are in a position of power. When an officer-involved shooting or use-of-force incident occurs, the way in which the investigations are conducted is critically important to both law enforcement and the communities we serve. It can be the difference between the community having faith in the investigation – that it wi...

For several months the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) have been engaged in extensive discussions with the Biden Administration in good faith to develop his Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. We applaud the Administration for listening to...

There is a crisis in our nation’s capital; no, not a political crisis. The District of Columbia is experiencing a crisis on multiple fronts: violent crime, elected officials who are enacting legislation that handcuffs the police, and a department that is down hundreds of officers. And to no surprise, there have been real-life, deadly consequences. And to no surprise, there have been real-life, dea...