Thank you to all who voted.  Below is the MPA board for 2009-2011:

Election Winners:

President: FABIAN COTA

Vice President: DAN GLOVER

Secretary: KURT SCANIO

Treasurer: CHAD TOWNLEY

Trustee’s: (7) JEFF CUTLER

ROY DUNKELBARGER

MICHAEL JACQUES

JON KLINGLER

RICK PERINE

JULIE SHELLY

SCOTT PIETRZAK

All board member responsibilities are outlined in MPA’s bylaws and policies.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a board member or station rep.

That’s right!  MPA is now offering their members FREE Workman’s Comp legal coverage.  The next time you are hurt, on-duty, make sure you call the law offices of Napier, Abdo, Coury, Baillie, PC at 602-248-9107 or Kathryn Baille direct at 623-293-8980.  The association is tired of hearing how the city is denying the claims of officers that are being hurt on-duty.  Instead of resorting to an outside attorney that will take up to 25% of your claim when it is finalized, it is now covered - AT NO EXTRA CHARGE - to members with your existing legal coverage .  We have the BEST attorneys that are able to fit the needs of cops!

PLEA and MPA are the only organizations in the State that offers this to officers.  NO ONE ELSE PROVIDES THIS SERVICE!

NAPO’s latest Washington Report and Legislative Scorecard with updates on the current issues and legislation on which NAPO is working on by clicking below:

NAPO LEGISLATIVE SCORE CARD

NAPO SEPT NEWSLETTER

Included in this issue of the Washington Report:

• Collective Bargaining Bill Introduced in the Senate
• NAPO Participates in Series of White House Meetings on Immigration Reform, Gang Violence Prevention and Crime Control and the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy 
• Update on IRS Normal Retirement Age Regulations
• NAPO’s Ford  Police Appreciation Program Extended Until January 4, 2010
• Special Thanks to all of NAPO’s Generous 2009 TOP COPS Sponsors

The Legislative Scorecard provides you with the most recent status of legislation on which NAPO is focusing its efforts.

The once-a-year tournament was a huge success, raising over $11,000 for the Officer Assistance Fund.  The event was held at Kokopelli Golf Course with an after party sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings.  The Officer Assistance Fund would like to thank everyone involved - golfers, celebrities, sponsors and volunteers - that made this event such a huge success!

The MPA elections for Executive Board and Trustees are being held 09/14/2009 through 09/28/2009. Get your ballots and turn them into your Station Rep. or Jon Klinger in a sealed envelope. Election results will be emailed first to all persons registered to receive our emails. To register your email, click here.  

Less Calls

MPA believes it is ridiculous the Mesa Police Department in today’s modern age, with depleted resources, still does not have an online reporting system to alleviate unnecessary field calls and save Officers time for more important duties. It is a waste of finite resources!

MPA takes action: The MPA met with the Interim Chief and several of our city council to explain how using an online reporting system will save us millions, with absolute minimum costs. A person reporting via the internet allows Officers to focus on more important duties. The citizens would receive quicker service and be more satisfied; instead of waiting around for hours and being hostile with our Officers for having to wait. Example of what Pima County Sheriff has done.

Some of the Council members we contacted agree and have already contacted the Interim Chief. The Interim Chief announced the department was looking at implementation recently at the last direct reports meeting. It’s about time.

Less Complaints

MPA met with the Interim Chief to request the department require local persons complaining to come to the department to sign affidavits. This would deter persons from filing frivolous complaints, with the sole intent of reducing the Officer’s effectiveness or willingness to confront criminals.

Concerns were raised this would deter people from reporting misconduct. MPA requested this at least be offered as an option to supervisors who suspect it is a frivolous complaint. MPA pointed out the affidavits citizens are now required to file for reporting a stolen vehicle. This affidavit process was adopted for the same reasons as MPA stated for complaints.

Additionally, MPA requested a policy of charging people who provide false information regarding a complaint. When it can be proven, the person should be charged with a crime. The department can provide a warning up front. We pointed out, other agencies are doing this. This would serve as a deterent to false complaints and charge people committing crimes in our presence.

Lastly, the MPA requested that the pursuit review board be allowed to ask questions when it would clarify issues and help the board make a determination. The current practice is for the board to not ask any questions. If they have questions, a complaint is generated so IA can investigate the questions. This leads to unnecessary complaints and the needless dragging of our officers into the IA process.

MPA suggested it would be much simpler and more efficient to allow the board to ask clarification questions. Even if the Officer were required to answer the questions of the board in writing, this would be a much better process.

The Interim Chief advised MPA these matters would be looked into.

MPA will meet again to discuss these matters, and continue to strive for processes and leadership that help front line Officers do their jobs better, while protecting them to the extent humanly possible.

If you care about your pension, wages, benefits, equipment, discipline, off-duty work, transfers, and so many other working conditions, you will take the time to get informed about the Meet and Confer process.

What Meet and Confer Means to You

All the items listed above are under constant risk of being reduced or eliminated, particularly in these hard budget times. By sticking together and behind the MPA, we can use an amplified voice to protect these precious things for your sake and that of your family’s.

Mesa Police are working harder than ever, short-handed, and your risk is great working Mesa’s streets. MPA needs to do all possible to make sure the city is taking care of you; financially, work-wise, equipping you properly, and safely. We want all Mesa Officers to go home at the end of their shifts. Meet and Confer means through MPA, you have a formal voice with the City so they can hear what you need, to get your job done. It also provides recourse when the city isn’t upholding its part of the bargain.

What is Meet and Confer?

In the simplest term, a representative for Police Officers meets with representatives of the city to adopt a formal written agreement regarding wages, hours, and working conditions. The agreement is known as a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU trumps all personnel rules, department polices, and past practices. If either party is not following the MOU, the matter is forwarded to the city council for resolution. If an agreement cannot be reached on an issue regarding the MOU, it is sent to the city council for resolution.

What is the Election for?

Since there are two employee groups wanting to represent Mesa Officers & Sergeants, they must collect the signatures of Officers and Sergeants to submit to the city, in which Officers request the employee group represent them. This is known as the petition process. If a group collects 30% of the total group’s signatures, this qualifies them to be considered as the representative. If two groups collect the necessary amount of signatures, this will trigger an election to decide who will represent Sworn Police Officer & Sergeants.

What Every Officer Needs to Do

• Be active in the process. Participate!

• Make sure the city has your current address as petition and voting information will be sent there.

• Update your information with MPA and sign up for the newsletter. http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=31463r

• Talk to other Officers about participating.

City leaders are watching very closely the amount of officers who take part. They want to know if you really do care about your pension, wages, benefits, equipment, discipline, off-duty work, transfers. Let’s show them you really do.

Vote MPA

MPA will soon be asking our members to sign a petition designating MPA as your representative for purposes of the Meet and Discuss process. Eligible members (Sergeants and Officers) can only sign one petition asking for one group to represent them. We hope you will recall all the hard work and accomplishments the MPA has done for Officers, representing you with professionalism and integrity, and we look forward to continuing to do so. Vote MPA, the proven leader in defending your rights, wages and benefits.

The Future

There will be upcoming events that MPA will sponsor to help Officers understand why this is so important to you. We hope you will take time from your busy schedules to become informed. With so much at risk, the time is now to move to defend what we have, and time has proven the MPA is the best at doing just that.

Mesa Police will be better served under this arrangement. Every major American police department from LA to New York uses a version of this process to address wages, hour and working conditions. Its time Mesa join the modern age of policing. Frankly, we look forward to it.