AZCOPS gains public support across Arizona in its fight to protect officers' jobs

July 2009 

Nationally there are states, counties and cities that are laying off public safety personnel and Arizona is no exception.

Members of our probation groups have already and will continue to fall victim to layoffs. And, several
of our police and deputy groups are facing deep cuts to include reductions in pay and increases in benefit costs. Government entities around Arizona are looking to reduce department operational budgets and reduce public safety personnel to help reduce their budget deficits simply because public safety requires a large percentage of a government’s general fund.

This was evident in Oro Valley and Flagstaff where both city governments were on the verge of laying off
six police officers each to help balance their budgets. Why? Because it’s expensive to maintain a police department.

For elected officials in Oro Valley and Flagstaff, it seemed easier to just cut the police budget. These two cities were willing to sacrifice the safety of their residents rather than looking at other city departments or outside agencies to cut from. The same thing is happening all over the state.

The Executive Board of AZCOPS working closely with Luis Ebratt, our Director of Government Relations, have been keeping a close eye on these entities and have assisted several of our affiliates in dealing with their city councils or county boards of supervisors. AZCOPS has assisted these groups in going public with their concerns about certain elected officials and/or budget cut proposals. In the process, we have discovered how common it is for many of these government entities to either refuse or fail to be transparent with both our affiliates and the general public.

I can tell you this. When the public is made aware of poor management practices and back-door deals (like pay raises for management during an economic
downturn), and when they learn that money is being handed out to outside agencies while officers jobs are on the chopping block, citizens become
infuriated.

Many of our affiliates have used the power of the media (TV/radio/print) with great success to get the word out to the voting public. Others have used cost-saving homemade flyers to get the information into their communities. Either way, the end result is that all of these communities have responded in one voice -- save public safety!

I urge all of our affiliates who may be going through the same crisis to make contact with your community and business leaders and educate them on what is occurring within their own government. We have certainly captured the attention of many political officials around the state, especially those who are up for re-election this year.

For example, in Tucson, the business community has been working with both the Tucson Police Officers Association and the Tucson Firefighters Association to place a “Public Safety First Initiative” on this year’s election ballot. This voter initiative will mandate that elected officials for the City of Tucson must fund public safety first by providing proper staffing (2.4 officers per 1,000 residents and the proper number of firefighters needed to keep response times at four minutes) before the fiscal year budget can move forward.Why is this happening in Tucson? Because the City Council has been ignoring public safety staffing needs for the past three years and now it has become a serious safety concern.

The nation is looking at a year to 18 months of economic woes and the State of Arizona is without exception. AZCOPS will continue to do what is necessary to assist our affiliates in any way possible. AZCOPS is here for you. Times are tough and it will be a long road, but we need to band together and protect our interests. In doing so, we must maintain vigilance with these government entities and remind them of their first duty as elected officials -- to provide proper public safety to the communities in which they serve.

While we celebrate the strength of our union, let's work together to achieve more 

February 2009

Fellow members, we begin a new year from a position of collective strength fueled by a growing membership and an unwavering commitment to the principles we share.

Together, we have grown our union from two affiliates and just a few hundred members in 1997 to more than 9,000 members in 88 affiliated groups today, making AZCOPS the fastest growing union nationwide.

Over the years, we have evolved into a true public safety union of police officers, sheriff deputies, probation officers, correction and detention officers.
It’s because of our diversity that everyone can see the distinct differences between AZCOPS and the other organizations. Working together, we have set aside the differences of our jobs and focused on what’s best for the group as a whole. And in the process, we are leaving our mark on Arizona by changing the way employers deal with our members.

When it comes to bargaining rights, five of our affiliates have worked tirelessly with AZCOPS within the past year to obtain seats at the table in their
communities. We congratulate the City of Maricopa Police Officers Association, the South Tucson Police Officers Association, the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, the Pima County Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Pinal County Deputies Association for their success in obtaining Meet and Confer for their memberships. These groups now have the ability to bargain with their employers for wages, working conditions and contracts. While
AZCOPS pledges our complete support to these groups in their efforts at the bargaining table, we won’t be satisfied until every association has the
right to bargain a contract.

When it comes to politics, AZCOPS continues to be a force to be reckoned with at all levels of government, but particularly at the State Capitol where our Director of Government Relations, Luis Ebratt, worked in a bi-partisan way in 2008 to achieve the passage of bills like HB 2117 that provided disability for
CORP members. This year, AZCOPS begins the legislative session from a position of strength with a history of success in the passage of legislation and the election of friends to House and Senate seats.

Our legal plan continues to be the best in the state. What makes ours better than the rest is the fact that we control it ourselves rather than allowing
some outside source to dictate our legal plan. Our lawyers are the best in the business and go the distance every day to protect members’ rights.

In addition to labor relatations, political and legal representation, AZCOPS encourages our affiliates to become involved in community programs such as the
100 Club, Shop with a Cop, establish scholarships and conduct free child fingerprinting. Community involvement puts a positive image of law enforcement in the media.

In Tucson and Scottsdale, the associations participate annually in their “Shop with a Cop” programs, assisting thousands of economically disadvantaged
children in their communities. The Chandler Lieutenants & Sergeants Association made a dream come true for a child with a fatal ailment by making
him a police officer for a day. And the Arizona Probation Officers Association and Pima Juvenile Corrections Association awarded scholarships. In 2008, these groups committed their time and resources by participatin in their respective communities and we applaud them.

Word is spreading fast that AZCOPS is the best union for public safety workers in the state. Every day, the number of new visitors to our website grows as officers look for real union backup. At www.azcops.org, you can stay up to date on the issues we’re working on for you. If you haven’t done it already, sign up to receive our email Bulletin and find out what’s making news in public safety labor relations.

Indeed, AZCOPS has come a long way since 1997. The state of our union is strong, but a successful future depends on your continued involvement and active participation. In 2009, I challenge each of you to help AZCOPS grow members in your own departments.

A decade of growth and professional service 

September 2008
AZCOPS was born in 1997 and in 11 short years, we have made significant progress. What started with just two affiliates -- Tucson POA and Peoria POA -- has quickly evolved to 85 affiliates and 9,000 members stretching from Kingman to Douglas and from Holbrook to Yuma.

To better serve the needs of a growing membership, AZCOPS has an office in Tucson and an office on Central Avenue just north of downtown Phoenix. AZCOPS also has two full-time attorneys -- Martin Bihn in Phoenix, who serves as our General Counsel, and Mike Storie in Tucson -- and more than 30 attorneys statewide ready to respond to critical situations involving our members.

AZCOPS has a full-time lobbyist, Luis Ebratt (a retired Maricopa County probation supervisor), who has worked incredibly hard at the State Capitol lobbying for legislation that supports our causes and working with lawmakers to help those bills become law.

And of course, let's not forget AZCOPS Office Manager Anamarie Daniels for her professionalism and attention to detail, and Chief of Staff Tim Clark and Organizer Chris Currie for their strong commitment and dedication to recruiting new members into our organization.

As you can see, AZCOPS is dedicated, relentless and committed to providing the best legal assistance and services to our members. AZCOPS truly is "The Power of Arizona Public Safety Officers."