Line of Duty Death Response for Law Enforcement Leaders
November 11-12, 2024
Lacey, WA
This 2-day course equips leaders to navigate the immediate & long-term aftermath. Learn crisis management, family support, incident management, memorial planning, benefits, & agency/family care strategies.
Check out the upcoming events from our partners at Behind the Badge Foundation
Another scholarship season has come to a close and we are excited to announce this year's WACOPS youth scholarship award recipients. The Awards & Scholarship Committee completed a blind review process of all 43 submissions - with students representing over 20 WACOPS member organizations from across the state. Learning about your children is something the committee looks forward to every year and it is by no means easy to narrow down the top 15. We see how hard the students work to achieve success in their studies, communities, extra-curricular activities, and personal development. Each of the 15 award recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to their selected university. Help us congratulate the 2024 WACOPS scholars!
Charlotte Benkert
Bainbridge Island Police Guild
Hardin Simmons University
Major: English
Trinity Clother
Tacoma Police Union Local 6
Boise State University
Major: Chemistry
Alexandra Flohr
King County Exec. Management Group
Central Washington University
Major: Business
Emma Fontenot
Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff's Assoc.
Western Washington University
Major: Art Education
Cody Kuss
King County Police Officer’s Guild
McPherson College
Major: Automotive Restoration
Lily McNannay
Pullman Police Officer’s Assoc.
Washington State University
Major: Accounting
Kylie Monson
Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff’s Assoc.
Central Washington University
Major: Business and Marketing
Sophie Oja
Yakima Police Patrolman’s Assoc.
Brigham Young University - Idaho
Major: Psychology
We are excited to announce and invite WACOPS Labor Defense Group members to attend the 2024 LDG Webinar Training Series. As a WACOPS LDG member organization, your leadership team is invited to these 1-hour, discussion-based Zoom webinars where experienced presenters will share crucial information regarding peace officer labor rights. As an attendee you will be able to watch, listen, and engage with our speakers as they discuss the latest in union responsibilities and provide you with the tools to best represent your members in negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Register using the link below and add the webinar dates into your calendar. Reminder emails will be sent out 2-weeks and 2-days prior to each training. See you there!
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:
Tactical Trauma Training - Puyallup 10/4/2023
Our respected, experienced presenters will share lifesaving content and lead critical conversations regarding Post Traumatic Stress in the first responder field. Attendees will leave with an actionable ‘tactical toolkit’ for themselves, their peers, and their families.
LODD LE Executive Training – West Richland 10/24/2023 – 10/25/2023
One of the most traumatic events facing a law enforcement agency is the potential loss of one of their own in a Line of Duty Death. Incidents such as a LoDD are defining moments affecting families, agencies, and communities. How agency leadership plans, prepares, and responds to this interpersonal trauma has long-lasting impacts. This two-day course is designed for agency executives and those decision-makers who may be placed in a leadership position in the event of a Line of Duty Death or other critical death within an agency.
It's time to register for the WACOPS exclusive AFLAC insurance programs
May 30 – June 30, 2023
CISM/GRIN:
GRIN (Group and Individual) CISM gives the advantage of being able to provide both Peer Support and of all of the Group interventions (Three days of training instead of four). Each person will receive a certificate in both Group and Peer. Attendees must be present for all 3 days to receive certification.
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.
The WACOPS Labor Defense Group (LDG) is seeking resumes and letters of interest from qualified applicants motivated to help small law enforcement labor groups with contract negotiations and discipline issues. The position being filled is for a consultant. Please read through the job description below and direct any questions to Teresa Taylor, WACOPS Executive Director.
The selected person will not be an employee of WACOPS LDG. The chosen consultant will be a contractor and will be compensated commensurate to the terms of a signed contract. All compensation will be reported to the IRS through an annual 1099. The initial term of the contract will be 12 months with an automatic rollover.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2, 2022
Three Rivers Convention Center
Kennewick, WA
WACOPS is a proud affiliate of the International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A)
Photo Permission: Wenatchee Police Department
