How To Join
Thank you for visiting our Florida State Lodge website. If you are considering becoming a member of the FOP or just want to see what the organization is about, please look over our website. Below you will find answers to some frequently asked questions. If there is any way that I can be of assistance to you, please email me at president@floridastatefop.org.
FOP Journal: The National FOP Journal includes a wide range of law enforcement articles, FOP reports, legislative news, and new products and services.
What is the Florida FOP?
The Florida State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police was chartered on January 16, 1950 in Lake Worth, Florida and currently serves nearly 23,000 members in 105 local lodges across the State.
Two police officers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania working 6 day weeks and 12 hour shifts established the FOP in 1915. Today, the Fraternal Order of Police has grown to over 328,000 members in over 2,100 lodges nationwide. For more information about the history of the FOP please view the story of the FOP at www.fop.net.
Two police officers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania working 6 day weeks and 12 hour shifts established the FOP in 1915. Today, the Fraternal Order of Police has grown to over 328,000 members in over 2,100 lodges nationwide. For more information about the history of the FOP please view the story of the FOP at www.fop.net.
The Fraternal Order of Police is the oldest and largest police organization in the United States with over 60 years of "Cops Representing Cops" right here in Florida.
What is a National Lodge?
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915 in Pittsburgh, Pa., experienced tremendous growth and rapidly expanded from those first two police officers. Over the years it has grown into the nation's largest police organization with over 364,000 members in over 2,100 lodges in 50 states and internationally.
We are the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities. We are committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those we serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation. No one knows the dangers and the difficulties faced by today's police officers better than another officer, and no one knows police officers better than the FOP.
We are the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities. We are committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those we serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation. No one knows the dangers and the difficulties faced by today's police officers better than another officer, and no one knows police officers better than the FOP.
Membership is open to all full-time law enforcement officers regardless of race, sex, creed, religion or rank. The National Lodge is governed by trustees, representatives from each State Lodge, and an Executive Board, which is elected bi-annually at a National Conference.
What is a Local Lodge?
The Local Lodge is a fraternal or labor organization made up of law enforcement officers from a given community. Local lodges are independent bodies that conduct their own affairs. Officers are elected and the constitution and by-laws are drafted and approved in conformity with the State and National lodges. The Fraternal Order of Police is a full-service member representation organization. The membership of each local lodge determines the services that are provided by his/her local lodge. The members of each State Lodge determine what services are provided by the State Lodge. The National Fraternal Order of Police provides a wide variety of services.
Activities for each Local Lodge are innumerable. In addition, most also provide many benefits to members that individual law enforcement departments are unable to provide. Each Local Lodge elects trustees and delegates whose job it is to represent their membership at State Board meetings and conferences. This ensures members have a far-reaching voice in FOP matters.
Activities for each Local Lodge are innumerable. In addition, most also provide many benefits to members that individual law enforcement departments are unable to provide. Each Local Lodge elects trustees and delegates whose job it is to represent their membership at State Board meetings and conferences. This ensures members have a far-reaching voice in FOP matters.
Who can join the FOP?
Any full-time or retired law enforcement officer may join the FOP. If you are a regularly appointed or elected and full-time employed law enforcement officer of the United States, any state or political subdivision thereof, or any agency, then you can become a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. If you are a family member of a Fraternal Order of Police member you may join the FOP Auxiliary. If you are a supporter of Law Enforcement you may join the FOP Associates. Please contact your local Fraternal Order of Police lodge who will assist you through the membership process. It takes 10 full-time or retired officers to start a local lodge. In recent years the Florida FOP recognized that there are a number of Florida law enforcement officers who wish to be affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Police, but found it difficult to achieve the numbers needed to charter a new lodge.
Many law enforcement agencies in the state are comprised of less than ten sworn officers, and often, the proximity of these smaller agencies to one another cause conditions that are not conducive to collectively creating a combined lodge. Additionally, political influence by those unfamiliar with the FOP’s mission and goals can create obstacles in the formation of a local lodge.
With that in mind the Florida State Lodge created a statewide at-large lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 900, an open membership lodge for those law enforcement officers working where a lodge does not exist. If you are an officer who falls into one of these categories and would like to become a member, please contact us and we will send you the information to get you started.