Law Enforcement Journal
Summer 2008 Edition
Summer 2008 LEJ
From the President's Desk
by Jim Tignanelli What a summer we are having here at the POAM! There are stories throughout this edition of the LEJ regarding recruiting and such that will help reinforce what you hear so frequently-the POAM continues to grow. We are very proud of the opportunities to serve law enforcement in Michigan. I made the annua... Read More »
Signed and Sealed
Vice-President's Viewpoint
by Dan Kuhn The role of vice president of the largest police union in the state of Michigan, as well as representing the POAM membership as a business agent is not one I take lightly. Although, I consider it an honor representing all of you across the state, it can sometimes be a lot of work too. Myself, and several other ... Read More »
Treasurer's Ledger - POAM is the Best Value for Wayne County Deputies
by William Birdseye POAM's Recruitment Director Gary Pushee has informed me that in October 2008, Wayne County Deputies will finally have the opportunity to vote on affiliating with our organization. According to Gary, the current Local 502 Executive Board has been asking employees to sign interest cards for an independent... Read More »
Secretary's Notepad - Police Week: An Experience You'll Never Forget
by Thomas Funke President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation in October of 1962 stating that May 15th will be "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week that it falls in will be known as "Police Week," but it took over 20years for it to actually be celebrated. The day was set aside to pay tribute to federal, state, and ... Read More »
Federal Perspective - Law Makers Pass Legislation 
By Dennis McGrann, POAM Lobbyist, Washington, D.C. Lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation during the few remaining weeks of session before the 110th Congress adjourns in September. Major questions surround the likelihood of Congress passing their 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the federal government for Fiscal Ye... Read More »
MCOLES Report - Police War Veterans Impacted
By JIM DeVRIES, MCOLES Board Member On March 20, 2003 our nation engaged Iraq in a war that few ever thought would continue through 2008. As a result of the length of this conflict, our citizenry is impacted in a number of ways. Few of us know military reservists that have not been called to active duty. Some have seen mul... Read More »
The Director's Chair - Protection for Union Representation
by Kenneth E. Grabowski State Representative Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland), upon the request of POAM, has introduced H.B. 5796. This Bill will protect a union agent who has a representative relationship with a bargaining unit member to not be compelled to disclose in court or administrative action, arbitration or proceeding... Read More »
From The Top - Project SCAMS
by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox Did you know that as many as five million seniors - someone's mom or dad, aunt or uncle - fall victim to financial abuse each year? And did you also know that 60 to 90% of the perpetrators of financial abuse of seniors are family members or caregivers? These are the reasons why my o... Read More »
Generally Speaking - Arbitration Under Attack: Employer Tactics Backfire
By Frank Guido, General Counsel POAM and its satellite organizations, COAM, TPOAM and FAOM, represent thousands of public employees throughout Michigan. We have more than 400 different collective bargaining agreements in place with various public employers at the city, county, township and village levels. More than 99% of ... Read More »
Guest Columnist Terry Lynn Land - Vertical ID: Straight Up Success
Vertical ID: Straight Up Success Five years ago, Michigan began to approach the problem of underage drinking in a different way-vertically rather than horizontally. A law went into effect on July 1, 2003, requiring the issuance of vertical (portrait) style driver's licenses or personal identification cards to individual... Read More »
What's in a Badge
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Weyhing Brothers Manufacturing Company in Detroit, Michigan is part museum, historical society, manufacturing plant and an artist's studio all wrapped into one. The company has a 100-year history of producing jewelry, awards, medals, tokens, pins, class rings and above all, custom made badges. ... Read More »
POAM in D.C.
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor It started with an event that stirred nearly every emotion in people - law enforcement or not. On Tuesday, May 13, 2008 the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund conducted its 20th Annual Candle Light Vigil to honor past heroes and enshrine new ones. This is an event that every law enfor... Read More »
Commissioner Honored
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Monroe County Commissioner J. Henry Lievens was named POAM's Commissioner of the Year for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents and law enforcement members in his district. Commissioner Lievens is an independent thinker and a blunt politician who never abandons his core values. "Altho... Read More »
Mixing Police and Politics
By Barry Sherman First, let me start out by telling you when I feel these two do mix. Several weeks ago I received a call from a newspaper reporter who was writing a story on a local police labor organization who had worked successfully on defeating an incumbent mayor. Her question to me centered on whether or not this typ... Read More »
Police Officers of the Year
KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DETECTIVE AARON BROWN AND SGT. ROGER ZOPPA Lightning may never strike twice in the same place, but criminals do. That's the lesson two Kent County law enforcement officers and a stunned convenience store clerk learned last Aug. 28 when an undercover surveillance turned into a potentially dea... Read More »
Sound Legal Advice
By Doug Gutscher, POAM Assistant General Counsel On December 29, 2006, P.A. 2006 no. 563 went into effect which restricted the use and disclosure of certain statements made by law enforcement officers. The law has two distinct parts. The first part of the law codifies "Garrity." The second aspect of the law is to prohibit ... Read More »
Scott Atkinson Shifts Gears
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor On April 27, 2008, one of metro Detroit's most effective local police association leaders announced his retirement from the Taylor Police Department. The very next day, Scott Atkinson put in ten hours as a POAM Business Agent. Scott was never known for resting on his laurels as a police officer an... Read More »
Michigan's Best, Worst Administrators
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor If remaining cool and calm under tremendous pressure, especially a critical incident involving one of your patrol officers qualifies you as Michigan's Best Police Chief, Dwayne Miedzianowski would certainly pass the test. If you help save the life of that fellow police officer, any candidate would... Read More »
Legislators of the Year
STATE SENATOR MARK JANSEN Mark Jansen was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 1996 and was re-elected twice, serving through 2002. Jansen serviced all six years on the House Appropriations Committee, having been one of only two freshmen appointed to this post by leadership. He served in several oth... Read More »
POAM Loyalty & Man of the Year Awards
BOLJESIC WINS LOYALTY AWARD By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Imagine you are a junior officer and you have just been involved in a critical incident. Or, you just got cheated out of your shift pick. Maybe you are a party to an ongoing internal investigation. If you work in Canton Township, there is some relief ... Read More »
Bob Wines Closes the Book
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Public Act 312 became law in 1969 and created a vacuum for public employee unions that were interested in representing police officers. It also hatched the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) and other like-minded unions interested in entering the field. The American Federation of St... Read More »
POAM Seminar
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, POAM, in conjunction with its Annual Convention hosted another labor and training seminar. Over 100 local leaders were in attendance, gathering information on three important topics. EMPCO, Inc. is Michigan's largest promotion testing company and its President, John ... Read More »
Honor Guard School
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor "This honor guard training camp motto reminds students that those who are honored have given all there is to give. The least an honor guard member can do is to give his or her best in tribute to the deceased police officer or firefighter," said Randy Kantner, Goshen Police Department Honor Guard m... Read More »
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Summer 2006 LEJ
Spring 2006 LEJ
Wayne County Deputies Want POAM
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor According to POAM Business Agent Ken Grabowski and recently retired Research Analyst Marv Dudzinski, Wayne County Deputies have been interested in affiliating with POAM for nearly twenty years. "Beginning about 1990 we began hearing from frustrated members about their union representation," said ... Read More »
Joint Operating Agreement
By Frank Guido, General Counsel Difficult economic times often result in drastic measures being taken to achieve financial stability, whether dealing with personal matters or governmental affairs. We have been flooded at POAM with repeated inquiry as to the legal propriety of political subdivisions entering into joint ope... Read More »
Public Safety Employees Benefit
By Paul Zorn, Director of Governmental Research Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company is a leading actuarial and benefits consulting firm that specializes in services to the public sector. It is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and has over 600 clients nationwide. The author is n... Read More »
Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Michigan HIV laws define "exposure" as sustaining a percutaneous, mucous membrane, or open wound exposure to the blood or other body fluids of another. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented the following requirement on employers regarding training, equipment, va... Read More »
Memorial Funding in Doubt
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor On October 18, 2006, Michigan took the initial step toward insuring that the service and sacrifice of all fallen officers in Michigan will be honored forever. Governor Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Senator John Kerry and hundreds of others in attendance dedicated the site of the future Memorial that wi... Read More »
POAM Educates Employers on Garrity
By Frank Guido, General Counsel It has been a pleasure representing the POAM membership for the past 25 years. Despite having written many articles for the Law Enforcement Journal, I have resisted the temptation to pontificate from a regular column. With the POAM legal staff running like a fine tuned machine, I now have t... Read More »
POAM Attorney Stationed in Gaylord
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor It's pretty good duty. Lot's of fresh air, deer in your back yard, and plenty of new trout streams to investigate. And, of yeah, he's a lot closer to many POAM members that need his legal counsel. POAM attorney George Mertz has relocated to Gaylord, Michigan, where General Counsel Frank Guido ... Read More »
Pension Watch
By Dennis McGrann and Sherri L. Juell, Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. You work your shift every day, watching out for the people you serve and your colleagues on the force. When it comes to keeping your pension plan safe from losses because of corporate misrepresentations, you count on the managers of your retirement f... Read More »
A Fresh Look at 12 Hour Shifts
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor In the late 1950's and early 1960's, an unusual employee-driven process took root in America as fatigued shift workers convinced management that major scheduling changes were needed. By the 1970's and 1980's, many businesses were favoring 12-hour "compressed" work sets of two to four days, over t... Read More »
Tasers Getting a Bad Rap
By Barry Sherman As we enter the 21st century era of policing, department after department is being equipped with probably the most important tool ever developed to reduce injury to officers and to those they are arresting. That tool is the "TASER." Actually, TASER is a registered trademark for their brand of Electronic C... Read More »
County Police Can Patrol for Less Than State
By Jack McHugh for the Mackinac Center For Public Policy The next time you see a Michigan State Police trooper ticketing speeders, ask yourself this question: Why is a routine traffic safety enforcement action being performed by a state trooper, when the same job could be done just as well for far less money by a county she... Read More »
Emotional Backup
By Ed Jacques LEJ Editor Crisis is something most employees attempt to avoid when they arrive at their workplace. For employees of Southfield-based Incident Management Team (IMT), crisis is expected. IMT is the internationally respected crisis management company that responds to calls to the Police Officers Association o... Read More »
Local Associations Should Consider Fundraising
By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor In 1992, state legislators and the Michigan Attorney Generals Office were fed up with complaints about unscrupulous professional fundraisers and their solicitation practices on behalf of public safety organizations. They wanted to introduce legislation to clean up the industry so legitimate appeal... Read More »
Time to Review And Renew POAM's Criminal Defense Plan
By Ed Jacques LEJ Editor Five dollars a month! That's all personal security and peace of mind costs. After all, would you let your medical COBRA coverage lapse if you had to leave your current job? At a cost of almost $10,000 a year, most of us would do whatever it took to provide medical coverage for our family. Mortga... Read More »