In 1915, the life of a policeman was dreary and dismal. In many communities,
officers were forced to work 12 hour days, 365 days a year. Police officers
didn't like it, but there was little they could do to change their working
conditions. There were no organizations to make their voices heard;
no other means to make their
grievances known.
This soon changed, thanks to the courage and wisdom of two Pittsburgh patrol officers. Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle knew they must first organize police officers, like other labor interests, if they were to be successful in making life better for themselves and their fellow police officers. They and 21 others "who were willing to take a chance" met on May 14, 1915, and held the first meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police. They formed Fort Pitt Lodge #1. They decided on this name due to the anti-union sentiment of the time. However, there was no mistaking their intentions. As they told their city mayor, Joe Armstrong, the FOP would be the means "to bring our grievances before the Mayor or Council and have many things adjusted that we are unable to present in any other way...we could get many things through our legislature that our Council will not, or cannot give us."
And so it began, a tradition of police officers representing police officers. The Fraternal Order of Police was given life by two dedicated police officers determined to better their profession and those who choose to protect and serve our communities, our states, and our country. It was not long afterward that Mayor Armstrong was congratulating the Fraternal Order of Police for their "strong influence in the legislatures in various states,...their considerate and charitable efforts" on behalf of the officers in need and for the FOP's "efforts at increasing the public confidence toward the police to the benefit of the peace, as well as the public."
From that small beginning the Fraternal Order of Police began growing
steadily. In 1917, the idea of a National Organization of Police Officers
came about. Today, the tradition that was first envisioned 90 years
ago lives on with more than 2,100 local lodges and more than 324,000
members in the United States. The Fraternal Order of Police has become
the largest professional police organization in the country. The FOP
continues to grow because we have been true to the tradition and continued
to build on it. The Fraternal Order of Police are proud professionals
working on behalf of law enforcement officers from all ranks and levels
of government.
NASSAU COUNTY POLICE LODGE 69 HISTORY- FOP Lodge 69 was organized
on September 1,1985 and chartered on January 1, 1986.
Lodge 69 is the largest FOP Lodge in New York State with over 1400 members.
The meetings are attended each month by 80 to 100 members. Our goals
are to support police officers throughout the country and to aid the
public in as many ways that we can through our fund raising efforts
for different organizations such as: the Association For Children With
Down Syndrome, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the AHRC, KIDPIKS Safety
ID Kits and the STOP DWI program and many others.
