Every day brave men and women put on their uniform and confront situations that most people will never encounter. Peace Officers are both the first and last line of defense and always society’s critical point of resolution. We are extremely fortunate to have such an incredible corps of public servants willing to protect and serve. In a profession of humble protectors, WACOPS encourages you to nominate your peers for The Mark Brinkman Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious award honors and brings distinction to the officer, the profession, and their department. Recognize a current WACOPS member who has exhibited an exceptional and outstanding performance of duties! All nominations will be reviewed by the WACOPS Awards & Scholarship Committee and final selection decided by the WACOPS Executive Board. 

 

The WACOPS Labor Defense Group (LDG) Board appreciates the years of dedicated service Chuck has provided to the WACOPS LDG and its enrolled groups. Chuck, along with a small group of other visionaries saw the need of our smaller WACOPS member organizations to access quality labor support; support that as one small group they would not have been able to access. Through his creative mind, and extensive labor negotiations experience Chuck helped WACOPS form the nonprofit subsidiary, WACOPS LDG. Since it's inception, the LDG has assisted dozens of WACOPS member organizations through collective bargaining, unfair labor practices grievances, mediation, and arbitrations. Since the start, Chuck has been the sole consultant for LDG, traversing Washington State to help our small organizations excel and ensuring better working environments for hundreds of officers across the state. Chuck will remain with WACOPS LDG through December, please join us in thanking Chuck for all that he has done for WACOPS, WACOPS LDG and officers everywhere. 

WACOPS is excited to offer new AFLAC coverages for members and their family. Open enrollment period is 11/1-11/30! You’ll have the chance to enroll in the coverages that best meet your financial needs. During open enrollment the coverage is guaranteed issue, meaning no health questions or medical qualification. Health insurance pays doctors and hospitals. Aflac helps pay the bills health insurance doesn’t cover. To learn more about the Aflac coverages and rates, visit: https://www.wacops.org/aflac-for-law-enforcement. Coverage will be effective on January 1, 2024.  

The following insurance plans are available during your enrollment: 

It's time to register for the WACOPS exclusive AFLAC insurance programs 
May 30 – June 30, 2023  

The Washington State Legislature allocated funding to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) to establish and coordinate an online or mobile-based application (app) for any Washington law enforcement officer; 911 operator or dispatcher; and any other current or retired employee of a Washington law enforcement agency; and their families, to anonymously access on-demand wellness techniques, suicide prevention, resilience, physical fitness, nutrition, and any other behavioral health and wellness supports. Following a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process, WASPC has partnered with Lexipol, the leader in policy, training, and wellness support for public safety, to utilize CORDICO® as the Statewide Wellness App. The CORDICO App will be available to active and retired law enforcement, corrections, and dispatch professionals and their family/household members starting on March 7, 2023. There is not cost to users or agencies to access the Statewide Wellness App.

App users are encouraged to visit https://www.waspc.org/law-enforcement-wellness-app for additional information on accessing the CORDICO App. App users are invited to attend a launch webinar. Launch webinars will include a demonstration of the CORDICO App, information on the MHP vetting process, and overview of user anonymity. Launch webinars will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing anytime. CORDICO login credentials will be provided by each agency, or users can contact the WASPC Officer Wellness Team starting March 7, 2023.

Do you or a fellow officer have a high school senior or undergrad college student? Beginning March 1st, the WACOPS Scholarship Committee is accepting scholarship applications.

The WACOPS Scholarship Program was created to provide scholarship funds for children of current WACOPS members who are in good academic standing. To be eligible, students must be the child of or under the care of a current WACOPS member, between the ages of 17-21, and submit their high school graduation date or proof of GED. NEW in the 2023 Operating Budget! 5 more scholarships added. There will be up to 15 - $1,000 scholarship awards granted to student applicants. The scholarship award may be used at any accredited college, university, or vocational/technical school upon proof of enrollment. Past scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply. 

Public Safety Employees Insurance Inc. (PSEII) invites organizations providing support and/or other services focused on law enforcement personnel or their families to apply for the new PSEII Grant Program. We hope you take this opportunity to share the PSEII Grant Program with any LE supporting organization that you believe could benefit from additional funding. Applicants may be awarded up to $500 and funds are limited. The 2023 application process is open now and will remain open until December 31, 2023, or when funds are fully dispersed. 

See eligibility requirements

Many of you have AFLAC currently.  Please take a few minutes to compare the plan you have to the one Public Safety Employees Insurance, Inc is offering.  Our subsidiary, Public Safety Employee’s Insurance, Inc through its broker Liberty Benefits Group has created a group-based AFLAC plan just for law enforcement and their families.

ACCIDENT:  Cash benefits paid to help with out-of-pocket expenses associated with treatment of a covered accident (on duty or off). 

Ep. 32 Joining me is Officer Stacy Roark who has been in law enforcement for 30 years. He is currently with the Spokane Police Dept. in the Behavioral Health Unit which uses a co-deployed model for responding to persons in mental crisis. Officer Roark rides with a mental health professional (MHP), Jenny Mandin from Frontier Behavioral Health. We talk about the calls they respond to and how they get people the help they need with the goal of keeping them out of jail or the hospital.

I’ve previously discussed the co-responder model on the podcast in which officers call for a clinician to come to the scene, but this is the first time I’ve discussed the co-deployed approach in which the officer and clinician ride together. I have made it a point to cover these response models to show the lengths to which law enforcement goes to help persons in mental crisis.

Ep. 33 I continue my conversation with Spokane PD Officer Stacy Roark. In Ep. 32, we started with an overview of Officer Roark’s 30-year career in law enforcement. We also talked about his current role on the Behavioral Health Unit and as a negotiator. Joining us is Jenny Mandin, a mental health professional with Frontier Behavioral Health. Officer Roark and Jenny are co-deployed to respond to persons in crisis. We discuss how this pairing works, the calls they respond to and the role each of them plays in assessing each person’s needs. Their goal is to connect people with services and keep those who do not need to be in jail or in the hospital out of both. I also discuss with Jenny what she’s learned about law enforcement, the challenges officers face and why it is important for the safety and protection of everyone involved that she respond with law enforcement to these calls.

I have talked about the co-responder model in the podcast, but in these two interviews, it is the first time I have covered the co-deployed approach. And it is the first opportunity I’ve had to speak with a mental health professional to get insight on training and approach.

Behind the Badge Foundation invited you to a one-day training addressing the epidemic of suicide within the Law Enforcement profession. Learn how to detect and respond to warning signs to prevent unimaginable tragedy within your agency. Register HERE.

On the day he passed, @EverettPolice Officer Dan Rocha was doing the job he loved – serving & protecting his community.

Tonight, I honored Officer Rocha's service & sacrifice on the House floor. pic.twitter.com/psmgjGLFik

— Rep. Rick Larsen (@RepRickLarsen) April 5, 2022

It is with tremendous sorrow we inform you of the line of duty death of WACOPS member, Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha. Officer Rocha was killed in the line of duty in service to the community on March 25th. The words are hard to find. Please pray with us for Dan's family, his brothers and sisters in the Everett Police Department, and all our WACOPS members. Gone but not forgotten. RIP.

From the Everett Police Department...

It is with a sorrow so great that words simply cannot express it that we inform our members and friends of the line of duty death of Pierce County Deputy Dominique "Dom" Calata on 3/15/22. Please pray for Deputy Calata and his family, friends, and fellow brothers and sisters at the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. Gone but not forgotten. Rest in peace.

From the Pierce County Sheriff's Department...

Dear WACOPS members,
 
It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the tragic death of Vancouver Officer Sahota.  Officer Sahota was off duty when a person fleeing arrest tried to make entry into his home.  The events that occurred are under investigation.  What we know is that this is a tragedy for all involved.  Our hearts are with everyone impacted.  We send our deepest sympathy to Officer Sahota’s family, friends, and his brothers and sisters of the Vancouver Police Officer’s Guild.  Likewise, we are holding our members with the Clark County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild in our prayers as well.  
 
RIP Officer Sahota.  Gone but not forgotten.
 
Be well and be safe, 
 
Teresa Taylor 
Executive Director

It is with heavy hearts that we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and brothers & sisters in law enforcement for the loss of Sergeant Joseph Deccio, a 15-year veteran of the Yakima Police Department. Joe died in the line of duty on August 3rd after experiencing a significant medical episode. A Yakima native, Deccio worked for the department for 15 years, serving as a patrol officer, leader of Yakima SWAT’s sniper team, coordinator for the K-9 units and school resource officers, as well as a field training officer. He was a corporal in the Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq as a cavalry scout with the 81st Brigade.

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our prayers to the family, friends, and brothers and sisters in law enforcement after the murder of another WACOPS member at the hands of violent criminals in our state.  As said by Tacoma Local Union #6, “Deputy Jeremy Brown gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving his community and died a hero.”   

The WACOPS Benevolent Fund, an account funded through member contributions, will be sending a check to support funeral related expenses.  Our national partner, the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), will also be sending a check of support. 

Please Welcome Puget Sound Police Managers Association to WACOPS

We are so pleased to announce the membership of PSPMA.  PSPMA is made up of Lts., Cpts. and contract city Chiefs for King County.  We enjoyed getting to know the leadership of PSPMA this past session as we worked cooperatively in our Law Enforcement Labor Coalition effecting the trajectory of the law enforcement reform bills.  We look forward to continuing those efforts and more challenges to come. 

It is a tremendous honor to announce that the King County Police Officers Guild Board has elected to rejoin WACOPS.  It’s been a long time since we’ve had the investment of the King County deputies and we are thrilled to welcome them back.  If you have a friend with the King County Police Officers Guild, I hope you will reach out to them and encourage them to get involved.  Please invite them to one of the upcoming meetings, encourage them to participate in the WACOPS Annual Scholarship process, update them on our work, and share why you are a proud member. 

As members of our Law Enforcement Labor Advocacy Coalition this legislative session, KCPOG has worked closely with us on the strategy we launched in response to the reform bills this session.  The leadership of KCPOG is dedicated to the issues and I know they will come to our meetings and actively work with us all as we all fight for the labor rights, pension, and safety you deserve. 

After a couple years of consideration and conversation, the WACOPS Executive Board has elected to affiliate to the International Union of Police Associations.  As you know, WACOPS is the voice of law enforcement in WA and by affiliating to the International Union of Police Associations we gain the support and influence of the only union chartered exclusively for law enforcement and law enforcement support personnel. This will only make us stronger.

While IUPA’s officers, active and retired law enforcement, fight to improve the lives of their brothers and sisters in law enforcement, they do so by actively working to improve legislation that protects and affects public safety officers, as well as representing the needs of law enforcement officers and support personnel, whether that be for better equipment, more staff or a fair wage.