Fall 2017 A Message from the President Members,
I would like to begin by thanking the membership for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your President for the 2017-2018 year. Standing before such an es- teemed collection of men and women at the summer conference is a very hum- bling experience. Throughout my years with the FPCA, I am constantly impressed with members, committees and our staff’s ability to deliver outstanding training at our conferences. Thank you for all your hard work while making it appear effort- less. A special thanks to the Miami-Dade County Association of Chief of Police for hosting the conference. You are outstanding guys and gals... simply outstanding!
While there are many things that cause chiefs to lose sleep at night, the safety of their officers is always foremost on their minds. Ours is a career of immeasurable reward yet fraught with danger. These dangers have been thrust into focus as we lost four of our brothers and sisters in the last several months. My deepest condo- lences and sympathies are with their families, their brothers and sisters left behind, their agencies and their communities.
Our top priority is to ensure the safety of our officers and the communities we serve; we must have good laws to support this goal. This year, I want to focus our collective energies on the legislative process and our legislative efforts to support our charge to pro- tect and serve.
One of our top priorities expands protection for officers by eliminating the current requirement for a specific individual to be threatened before taking potentially life-saving action. The proposed legislation would also add other communications mediums, such as social media, as recognized sources of threats.
Our other top legislative initiative addresses distracted driving by requiring the use of a hands-free device when using a cell phone or other electronic device. Currently, 15 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers fromusing hand-held cell phones while driving. We want to be the 16th state to require hands-free use.
The legislative session starts early this year, and now is the time to connect with your state representatives and senators to discuss the importance of our legislative initiatives and ask for their support. Conversations held now might be the difference during ses- sion, as connecting with legislators during session is sometimes difficult at best. Reach out to your legislators now and tell them what is important to all of us as well as what we oppose. Three hundred voices are stronger than 10; imagine what we could do with all 1,000 of our members’ voices!
In closing, I ask that we all take a moment to remember the victims of the tragedy in Las Vegas, to honor all the first responders working that day whose efforts clearly saved lives, and to the families of those
Kevin Lystad Chief, Miami Shores Police Department
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