ISPA Online - Chairman's Message
The Chairman's Message is taken from ISPA's Idaho State Police Magazine which is published semi-annually. The message has been reprinted here since the Winter 2006/2007 issue.
To view a specific message from the Chairman, click on one of the following links:
From the Chairman
Idaho State Police Magazine - Fall 2008
by ISPA Chairman Fred Rice
I am happy to report that the investment fund is growing. We are continuing to buy stock at very low prices at this time. The investment panel is investing our money wisely and I believe we will see great returns in the future. We must realize that during this downturn in the economy, we are in it for the long haul. Our investments are making minimal gains at the best during these times but as the economy turns we will be far ahead of the game as our investment panel have invested our money during basically a fire sale. Every two weeks we are purchasing more stock with your dedicated dues.
The Idaho State Police Association Call Center that was overseen by the Civic Development Group had to change our calling module. In order to meet the federal guidelines, CDG is now running the call center. The call center is still located in Boise, Idaho however it is not called the Idaho State Police Association call center anymore. CDG makes the calls in behalf of the Idaho State Police Association. Tom Thompson’s title has changed from director of fund raising to the Idaho State Police Association’s Public Relations Director. Tom is our liaison with the call center and is continuing to monitor and make sure that the center is operating to our standards. If you have any questions on the call center, do not hesitate to contact your local president and they can fill you in on how and why we had to make these changes.
Our magazine is not yet up to the size that we anticipate that we would like to have. Our publishers are working hard along with our hard working editor Marjorie, to get this magazine to where we want it to be. Remember this is only our second issue with our new publishers. They have to overcome some of the issues that are previous publisher created. An important issue with our magazine is getting people to be involved with supplying information to Marjorie for each new magazine. I know there is a lot of information and photographs that could be shared in our magazine if we would only supply them to Marjorie.
To the association members of the Idaho State Police, keep up the great work. We will get through these hard times of the down turn in the economy and will prosper in the end. Here's looking at a happy holiday season and please be safe.
Your chairman
Fred Rice
Well here's the first copy of our magazine from our new publisher. As I write my message I have not seen the final product, but I'm sure it's going to be good. Please be sure to thank Marjorie for all of the hard work that she has done on this publication.
The Association has gone through some growing pains this last year, and I really appreciate all the support, that the members have given the board.
The call center has been up and running approximately 1 year, now, and it has been doing great. We have now been able to recoup our losses for not having any fund raising for a whole year. The board is very excited about being able to proceed with establishing our committee to oversee our insurance fund. The board is working with our attorney and our CPA to establish a fund so we can collect donations that will be tax exempt for the donors. This should really assist our efforts in hitting our goals for being able to start assisting our retired members with their health insurance premiums.
The Idaho State Police Association is only as strong as the members make it. I strongly urge each and every one of the members to be actively involved in our Association. This Association was founded in 1982 to assist the members in their work environment and in their family duties. The association is not a union, but it has a great working relationship with the Idaho State Police Administration. We must all know that the Association and the Administration will not always agree on certain issues. As your chairman, along with the board of directors, we have taken every concern that members have brought to us to the Administration.
The Director has been very gracious in supplying us with answers to why decisions have been made on issues. Again, we may not have agreed on the final outcome, however, the Director has listened to our concerns and discussed with us why decisions have been made. Prior to our last board of directors meeting, we supplied the Director, with over 60 questions and comments for him to address. The Director took an entire afternoon to sit with the board to answer and discuss each and every one of those comments and questions. Again I must urge you to meet with your chapter representative and discuss issues that are bothering you, or ideas that will help the Idaho State Police and the Idaho State Police Association continue to be a great place to work.
It has been a great honor and privilege to be your representative as the chairman. I do not take this position lightly. Please understand that I am not perfect, and I make mistakes but how I represent you is not based upon my own personal opinions. It is based on what the board of directors, your local representatives advised me to do.
I know as we start this new year of 2008, we will have issues and hurdles to overcome. Will we solve all of them? Probably not. But we are moving in the right direction. With the Administration and Association working together both expressing their opinions and concerns the right solutions for the members and the department will come forward. I really look forward to a very positive and progressive year with the Idaho State Police. Remember our job, keep the great citizens and visitors of Idaho safe, and in doing this please be careful.
Respectfully yours, your chairman Fred Rice
From the Chairman (Summer 2007)
by ISPA Chairman Fred Rice
Where do I start? What a way to end the year 2006. It only takes one second and our world is turned upside down. I could not believe what I was hearing. A state trooper has been shot and the bad guy is headed for Jackpot, Nevada, with officers in pursuit. I was on my way to work when I was hearing this over the police radio. How could this be? Who is the officer? How did it happen? All kinds of things went through my mind.
When I got to the office, information started pouring in. Chris Glenn has been shot and he is in pretty bad shape. What should we do? What can we do? I have to do something. Every ISP employee had the same feeling. From the Director's office down, we all felt like we needed to do something. Officers wanted to get the bad guy; others wanted to be with Chris. What about his wife and son?
Well I must say that I am proud to be a part of this Idaho State Police family. We all came together and tried to do the right thing. I know that during this emergency and during the weeks after, there were feelings that may have got hurt. You know its okay to feel however you felt during this ordeal. We all had to react to our emotions in different ways. I know that Chris and his family thank everyone for your thoughts, prayers, work and support.
I cannot forget to thank all of the other police agencies, fire departments and emergency personnel from all over Idaho and the rest of the western states. I would like to thank each group individually, but it would take the entire article to just list them and then I would leave someone out. But most of all, I would like to thank the people that make up this great place we live in. You supported law enforcement during a time that we were hurting and you were there for us. Law enforcement lives in a very negative world and the citizens stepped up to show us that they do appreciate what we do, and they were there to help law enforcement in any way they could.
To Chris and his family, we are proud of you, we love you and we will stand by you. I have heard many people make comments like, I went to see Chris and his familly, to see if I could help them, and when I left they helped me and I felt better. Thank you for all that you have done for all of us and my God bless you.
Welcome aboard to Director Russell. The Idaho State Police Association is excited to be working with Director Russell. We look forward to having an article in our magazine from the Director. We are not sure what he is going to call it. "The Top Cop", "The Colonel's Corner" or what ever he comes up with. The Director met with the ISPA board of directors about 30 some days after joining the ISP. We were very honored with all that was going on he took the time to come to our meeting and address us. It was a very informative meeting as he explained his goals and plans for the ISP. The director even gave us a challenge.
He said that he knew that there would be all kinds of rumors flying around and that we should ask about things we hear before going off and spreading things that might not be true. He even gave us a rumor to start, that we were going to bowties to see how fast it would travel the state. Director Russell has a great sense of humor, but business is business and he is ready to lead the Idaho State Police. He is working very hard to get PROJECT CHOICE up and running. This task is not easy. This brings me to my next point. The legislators passed a law that there has to be a "fair market value" done so that our base line on our pay scale could be set. We do not want to start PROJECT CHOICE without the right numbers in the pay scale.
The ISPA Call Center in Boise is up and running. We have been achieving higher results than expected. If you have any questions or if someone asks you about the call center you can find information about it on our website at www.ispaonline.org.
Let's all stay strong as we are all in this together. Remember change can be good and let's move forward. If we are not moving forward we are moving backwards; staying the same is not an option. Please be safe and always try to remember all of our brother and sister officers that work out there with us.
From the Chairman (Winter 2006/2007)
by ISPA Chairman Fred Rice
As I write this Chairman’s Article for the Idaho State Police Magazine, I would like to start off with thanking Representative Rich Wills for drafting, sponsoring and carrying House Bill 602 in this year’s Legislative session. Without Representative Wills’ hard work, dedication, and previous work experience with the Idaho State Police, I think 602 would have just been a dream.
I would also like to thank every legislator that helped get 602 into and out of the committees, through both the House and the Senate. I would like to name each one by name, but I am sure I would miss someone and the list would take up the whole article. I would like to thank every legislator that voted in favor of 602 and listened to what we had to say.
Additionally, I want all Idaho State Police personnel to know of my appreciation for the work the ISPA chapter representatives did for all of us. One example: when I called for their help (with only 24 hours notice) to go out and get a survey done. They stepped up, dropped what they had planned for the day and went out to talk with the people. The survey they gathered made a huge difference during the debate on the house floor on 602. We proved that the people of this state still support the Idaho State Police and their jobs, even though some people said that they didn’t want to be written traffic tickets, they saw the need to help raise the money for wages for the Idaho State Police.
Before I sat down to write this article I thought about what I said in the last chairman’s article, and I quote:
“The department is asking for pay increases and has given them a plan on how they, the Legislators can help us. We need to support that plan and be positive about that plan. But the real key here is that we (that means all of you out there) need to be vocal. If we want this to happen, we the employees have to talk to these Legislators. I keep hearing from all of you members that this is the big issue. Well, let’s make it the BIG issue by each and everyone of us contacting our Legislators and letting them know that we need pay and benefits. If each one of us was to call, email or talk to our Legislator once a month up until the session starts and then once a week during the session, they would finally take us serious. No one is going to make it happen for us, not even the ISPA board can do it alone, and we all need to make it happen by letting our voices be heard. If only a few voices are heard, the legislatures think that this issue isn’t that bad because there aren’t very many complaining, but if we all unite and let all our voices be heard, they will listen.”
Well, now I am going to say, I TOLD YOU SO! I knew it could be done if as many people as possible would get involved, which you did. My hat goes off to all of you who stepped up to the plate when we needed a home run hit! A huge thank you to each and every one of the members and nonmembers of the ISPA that took the time to contact their local legislators and gave legislators the information they needed to help them make an informed decision about 602.
The work that was accomplished here shows how if we work together as a group and put our personal wants aside and we can achieve the things we need the most as a whole. We came together as a whole in this endeavor and accomplished what we all wanted and needed badly for a long time, wages and benefits.
The board of directors (your chapter representatives) are working hard, looking toward the future for things that will benefit the association as a whole, such as: funding our retirees health insurance fund, working with supportive legislators, members choice of 25 year service awards: rings, watches or pendants now available instead of just a ring.
We started a more interactive website ispaonline.org, which will be more informative for all, please check it out, it will only get better. We are trying hard to become an association that everyone in the Idaho State Police wants to be a part of. Our membership is climbing and some areas almost all employees are members.
Dues increase, as you members know and voted on or against, our first dues increase takes effect the first pay period of May 2006. The majority of the membership voted in favor of the dues increase to create a trust for funds gathered to send two uniformed officers to the “National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Services” each year. This fund will be used to send two uniformed association member officers back to Washington D.C. to train on how to be escorts for a fallen officer’s family during the memorial services.
Our hope is to develop a pool of twelve or more member officers from around the state to be ready to assist a family of a fallen officer who will be attending the memorial services. This fund could also be used to send association members who are not uniformed that may have been involved with a fallen officer incident to go with and also assist the family. The first two uniformed association member officers will attend the memorial services starting in May 2007. The board of directors will choose from a list of applicants who are willing to accept this commitment that may last for years. Applications for uniformed association members interested in going to the memorial service will soon be available. Keep in mind that this is not just a free fun filled trip to Washington D.C. but serious work which you may have to take your own vacation days for. Please look at the website for the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial at www.nleomf.com.
In closing, I thank you all for your support for me as chairman and for supporting your chapter representatives. Let’s keep positive and look forward to the future.
© 2006 Idaho State Police Association
Updated: 03/20/2009 8:33