Florida FOP โexcitedโ about bill that would protect first responders, Jacksonville activist group disagrees
The Florida Fraternal Order of Police is waiting to see if a bill is signed that it believes would offer more protection to first responders, while a community activist group doesnโt see it the same way.
Deegan: Jacksonvilleโs tax revenue could decrease by up to $100 million next year, and tough decisions are coming
According to those who crunch numbers for the city, there will be fewer tax dollars coming in next year and that means when planning on how the city will spend it, some decisions will have to be made.
Foundation to hold a fundraiser for JSO officer wounded in Baptist South parking lot shooting
The Fraternal Order of Police has identified the officer shot in the Baptist South parking lot April 18. Officer Taylor Smith was one of several officers who responded to the hospital, after they got a call of a suspicious vehicle fleeing.
โA long and hard roadโ ahead for Jacksonville officer critically injured in shooting, FOP says
A day after a Jacksonville police officer was critically injured in a shooting Sunday, the home where the incident took place was boarded up with plywood as a stark reminder of what happened in the Duclay neighborhood.
Reserve police officer who died of COVID-19 called โa friend to allโ
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A reserve officer of the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office has died, the Fraternal Order of Police announced Wednesday. Louis Livatino, 71, was described as a dedicated family man who volunteered his time on the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office Honor Guard and countless assignments assisting patrol functions, sometimes working as much or more than full-time officers. โIf you knew Lou, you loved Lou,โ Melissa Bujeda, a former public information officer for JSO, wrote. Sergeant Livatino was known throughout the agency for his willingness to help anyone in need and for his infectious smile. โ Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) January 27, 2021This is at least the third law enforcement officer in Northeast Florida to die of COVID.
JSO says officers canโt have Marsyโs Law protections. The union is suing to change that.
But, according to the training slide, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office canโt invoke Marsyโs Law protections in the course of their official duty. The Fraternal Order of Police, the union that represents officers, is suing the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office to challenge the policy. Judge Charles Dodson ruled against the Florida Police Benevolent Association, writing in his court order that Marsyโs Law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity are not protected by Marsyโs Law. โThat hasnโt been an issue expressed to me by several other agencies that allow Marsyโs Law protection. In Jacksonville, the city and Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police are waiting for the judgeโs ruling.
Acting Secretary of the DHS to deliver remarks in Atlantic Beach
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf will deliver remarks in Atlantic Beach this morning. A news release on the visit didnt say what Wolf will be speaking about. The acting secretary will address the Fraternal Order of Police at 9 a.m. during its 2020 Fall National Board of Trustees/State Presidents Meeting. Watch live here on News4Jax.com.
Jacksonville Sheriffs Office mourns death of lieutenant
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, Fraternal Order of Police and members of the community are mourning the death of a police lieutenant. News4Jax has learned Lt. Chris Cunningham has died. While sources have confirmed the cause of death, News4Jax has made an editorial decision not to reveal those details without permission from his family. According to News4Jax crime and safety analyst Ken Jefferson, the 47-year-olds last assignment was a crime scene unit lieutenant. The lieutenants death was announced by the Fraternal Order of Police, which offered thoughts and prayers to his family:News4Jax is attempting to reach the family.
Chicago groups sue to bar federal agents from protest duties
Protesters gather on Federal Plaza Thursday, July 23, 2020, after a collection of Chicago activists groups announced they are filing a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police, and the federal government, in Chicago. The lawsuit also asks a judge to prevent agents in Chicago from making arrests or detaining people without probable cause and to require agents to identify themselves and their agency before taking either action and explain why someone is being arrested. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago groups sue to bar federal agents from protest duties
Protesters gather on Federal Plaza Thursday, July 23, 2020, after a collection of Chicago activists groups announced they are filing a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police, and the federal government, in Chicago. The announcement did little to calm some Chicago residentsโ fear that the agentsโ presence will lead to the violent clashes between demonstrators and federal agents seen in Portland. The planned surge already has caused some members of the activist groups to draw back from protest plans this weekend, โdue to the well-founded fear that they will be brutalized or kidnapped by federal agents,โ attorneys wrote. Barr said the additional agents will focus on โclassic crime fighting," expanding an existing operation that sent federal agents to Kansas City, Missouri, after a 4-year-old boyโs shooting death. โNeither the President, Defendant Barr, nor Defendant Wolf gave any assurance that the โhundredsโ of federal agents flooding Chicago would leave protestors alone,โ the activists' lawsuit said.
Cops in misconduct cases stay on force through arbitration
Arbitration inherently undermines police decisions, said Michael Gennaco, a police reform expert and former federal civil rights prosecutor who specialized in police misconduct cases. Police arbitration on appeal is one of the single most important accountability issues in the country, he told The Associated Press. San Antonio TV station KSAT found that two-thirds of fired officers had gotten their jobs back since 2010. No state or federal agency tracks arbitration outcomes, but media investigations have documented hundreds of officers who returned to work after being fired. A Washington Post report documented 1,881 officers who were fired between 2006 and 2016, and 451 got their jobs back through arbitration.
Brevard County FOP head resigns over post on accused officers
VIERA, Fla. โ The president of a Fraternal Order of Police chapter along Floridaโs Space Coast has resigned after being told he would be fired following an internal investigation over a social media post that encouraged officers linked to departments accused of using excessive force during recent protests to apply for jobs in Florida. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Friday that Lt. Bert Gamin was no longer with the agency. The message posted last weekend on the Brevard FOP Facebook page said, โHey Buffalo 57 ... and Atlanta 6 ... we are hiring in Florida. The four fired officers and two others face criminal charges stemming from the incident. In Buffalo, New York, dozens of police officers stepped down from the departmentโs crowd control unit last week, objecting to the suspensions of two fellow officers in the shoving of a 75-year-old protester who fell and injured his head.
Jacksonville police recruit saves woman from submerged car
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office recruit jumped into a pond to save a woman who was stuck underwater in her car, according to the Fraternal Order of Police. Recruit Officer Gedert hadn't even finished his field training when he and his training officer responded to a crash near Interstate 295 and Beach Boulevard. The FOP said a vehicle was sinking fast in a nearby retention pond when the officers arrived and Gedert grabbed a float bag, jumped into the water and swam to the car. The driver was unable to get out of the car, so the FOP said Gedert swam under the water, freed her and helped her swim safely to shore. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Making history: First female African-American police chief to be named at JSO
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - It will be a historical moment at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Assistant Chief Deloris Patterson O'Neal is expected be promoted to the rank of chief later this year. Chief Deloris Patterson Oneal for being promoted to the rank of CHIEF," the Facebook post said. "We are excited to recognize Chief Patterson's historical moment. She is the first African American female in Jacksonville Sheriffs Office history to be promoted to the position of (full) Chief.
JSO mourns the loss of Sgt. Gregg Mattson
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville's Fraternal Order of Police mourned the death of Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sergeant Gregg Mattson over the weekend. Mattson passed away due to health-related issues, cause of death has not been released. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
JSO's 1st African American police chief honored by FOP
Charles Scriven joined the Jacksonville Police Department in 1955. Two years later, he was denied membership to the Fraternal Order of Police because he was an African American. He was finally granted membership in 1996, and on Tuesday night, the FOP honored Scriven and apologized. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Scriven was the first African American police chief at JSO.
Missing $900 seizure monitor returned to child
MAYPORT, Fla. โ After the local Fraternal Order of Police on Monday offered to replace a Mayport boy's potentially life-saving device that disappeared in the mail, the $900 seizure monitor was returned, the child's mother said. Brock, who lives at the Otter Run Apartments on Assisi Lane, first told News4Jax that her son's seizure monitor disappeared from her mailbox. At $900, Brock reached out to a charity, which donated one. Minutes after the story aired on News4Jax at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Steve Zona, president of the Fraternal Order of Police for Jacksonville, reached out. WATCH ORIGINAL REPORT: Mother says $900 seizure monitor stolenZona said he and the board had committed to buying Dylan a replacement monitor system that's valued at $900.