LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
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HISTORICAL VIEW OF POLICE UNIONS Throughout the United States, local police agencies were understaffed and underpaid. Economics and society’s fear of “police authority” frequently restricted the departments and their budgets. As early as 1889 police officers fought for their basic needs, but early attempts to organize the police met defeat. However, other groups such as unskilled laborers were forming unions for better pay and working conditions. In 1919, Boston police accepted a charter from the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Nineteen officers protested their working conditions and salary. All 19 were discharged and when over one thousand fellow police officers went on strike in support of them, they were all fired. Even the IACP at first came out against the organization of police officers except for approved social, fraternal, or benevolent police associations. By the mid-1900s, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) had formed a few social groups. In the late 1930s and early 40s, police officers again attempted to form unions. In Lansing, in 1941, a complaint filed in the case of FOP Lodge 102 v D.D. Harris, et. al., progressed through the court system to the Michigan Supreme Court. In June of 1943, the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-1 decision that the city could lay restrictions concerning membership of its policemen in the FOP, and forbid issuance of associate or honorary memberships to private citizens. While waiting for a decision support had been lost. Another attempt in the 1950s also lost support. In 1967, Lansing police officers and officers of several area law enforcement agencies received a charter to Capital City Lodge #141. The LPD membership included sworn nonsupervisory personnel of 111 patrolmen, 3 policewomen, 11 corporals and a court officer. Several years later, those with the rank of Sergeant through Captain, formed an FOP Supervisory unit.
Motorcycle Officers: S. Hildebrand, L. Kimball, H. Woodard, C. Croy, R. Benedict, J. O'Brien |
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