Southeast Louisiana VETERANS:
Starting today, Tier 1C is now eligible for vaccines at the New Orleans VA.
To get scheduled, call: 1-800-935-8387 x72819

Eligibility:
ANY AGE with any of the following conditions (per CDC recs):
Cancer
Chronic kidney disease
Lung disease (COPD, Emphysema, etc.)
Heart conditions (heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies, etc.)
Obesity and Severe Obesity (BMI ≥30)
Sickle Cell Disease
Smoking
Type II Diabetes
Pregnancy

Patients of ANY AGE who are considered essential workers as defined by CDC (must bring proof of work):
Transportation and logistics
Food service
Shelter and housing (construction)
Finance
IT and Communication
Energy workers
Media workers
Legal workers
Public safety (engineers)
Water and wastewater workers

PLUS:
Existing Eligible Group
Veterans who are eligible to receive care with VA who are:
Age 65 or older

Any age in the following very high risk groups:
Dialysis
Chemotherapy
Homeless or congregate living
Long term care facility
Spinal Cord Injury (inpatient or outpatient)
Transplant

Any age who are considered frontline essential personnel as defined by CDC:
First responders (firefighters, police)
Healthcare workers
Education (teachers, support staff, daycare)
Agriculture and food processing workers
Manufacturing
Corrections workers
US Postal Service workers
Public transit workers
Grocery store workers

Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police Darrell Basco served on the Police Training, Screening, and De-Escalation Task Force. President Basco was the only person on the task force representing rank and file law enforcement officers in Louisiana — our members.

This task force was created by Louisiana Legislators following George Floyd’s death in Minnesota. It is important to remember that these are only recommendations by the task force. The individual recommendations from the task force will have to be considered again to be made part of any legislation. The following was written by President Basco. The Louisiana FOP’s website can be found by clicking here.

The Police Training, Screening, and De-Escalation Task Force culminated on Thursday, January 14th. 

During the Extraordinary session of 2020, Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 passed the Legislature and created the Police Training, Screening, and De-Escalation Task Force.  The Task Force was composed of over 20 members, with the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police being the only rank-and-file police organization represented on the Task Force.

The Task Force was divided into Subcommittees to discuss issues and hear testimony from the public and subject matter experts about contemporary issues between the public and law enforcement.  Subcommittees were assigned specific issues such as Community Relations, Internal Operations, and Policy & Oversight.

Subcommittees reported their findings with recommendations to the full Task Force.

At the culmination, the full Task Force heard 22 recommendations and accepted all, but one of them.  All recommendations were amended from their original language to the language that will be filed in the 2021 Regular Legislative Session.

Please keep in mind that these are recommendations, that will translate into individual legislation introduced in the 2021 Legislative Session. All pieces of future legislation will be debated in committees and in both chambers proceeding through the regular legislative process.

Here is a brief overview of the recommendations.

Recommendation #1

Changes the time frame from 30 to 14 days that an officer has to get an attorney for representation during an internal investigation, unless the officer is incapacitated or in medical facility.

Recommendation #2

Initially drafted to require polygraphs on all internal investigation. Language was amended to a future study resolution by a joint committee of the House Committee on Judiciary and Senate Judiciary B.

Recommendation #3

Changed the 60 day requirement to complete an investigation to 75 days and to be inclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.

Recommendation #4

Resolution urging the State Police Commission, which acts as the Civil Service system for commissioned employees of the Department of Public Safety, to adopt policies similar to those listed in the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights.

Recommendation #5

Recommendation was that an officer would be prohibited from viewing camera footage before being interviewed as part of an administrative investigation. This recommendation was voted to not be recommended by the Task Force.

Recommendation #6

Recommended that only sustained complaints will remain in an officers file for 10 years.

Recommendation #7

Included in the language for Recommendation # 12

Recommendation #8

Places a ban on choke holds under certain circumstances. They would be prohibited unless the officer is in fear of great bodily harm or death of themselves or another.

Recommendation #9

Adds language to Title 9 under immunity that states:

“No element of qualified immunity shall be available to law enforcement officers as a defense to liability for claims brought under state law for wrongful death, physical injury, or personal injury inflicted by law enforcement officers through any use of physical force in a manner determined by a finder of fact in a judicial proceeding to be unreasonable.”

Recommendation #10

Addition to the malfeasance statute:

“If the individual is a full-time or part-time or reserve peace officer, knowingly or with reckless disregard either refuses or fails to perform any duty lawfully required of him as a peace officer”

Recommendation #11

No knock warrants. Language to be added to the statute that follows best practices of executing no knock search warrants. Officers must have approval for no knock warrants from the judge that establishes probable cause that exigent circumstances, such as protecting life and limb. The officer must knock and use a clear announcement and be in uniform. The announcement must be reasonable that the occupants would have heard the announcement.

Recommendation #12

P.O.S.T. will implement a training program for all officers that include anti bias training with topics that include procedural justice, cultural diversity, community relations, and peer intervention.

Recommendation #13

That P.O.S.T. training curriculum implemented in Recommendation #12 will occur by January 1, 2022. Training developed will be in person or online.

Recommendation #14

If a police unit is equipped with a dash camera and the camera has the technology to be activated upon lights/siren activation then the agency shall utilize the technology.

Recommendation #15

No later than January 1, 2022 any agency with body worn cameras shall have a policy that outlines the activation and deactivation of the body worn camera.

Recommendation #16

Became Recommendation #21.

Recommendation #17

All government entities that employ peace officers shall develop a policy to recruit minority candidates.

Recommendation #18

Requires federally established Giglio reporting by agencies to prosecutors.

Recommendation #19

Pulled from consideration

Recommendation #20

Law enforcement agencies are required to provide P.O.S.T. within 45 days of employment status of law enforcement personnel. Failure to do so will result in a $500 fine.

Recommendation #21

Agencies will have to be certified and have at least 3 certified officers within their department to investigate an officer involved shooting. The certification and training will be developed by P.O.S.T..

Recommendation #22

Allows P.O.S.T. to develop and implement policies and procedures to suspend or revoke certification for misconduct.

As this progresses in the 2021 Legislative session the Louisiana FOP will keep the membership informed of updates/changes in the legislation.

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Darrell B. Basco                  
LA FOP State President              

The following is reposted from the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police. The original article can be found here.

Funeral Arrangements: Tommy Tizzard 

The funeral services for Louisiana National Trustee Tommy Tizzard will be held on Friday, January 22nd at Garden of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Dr, Metairie, LA 70001. Visitation will begin at 10AM with a service to follow. Everyone must wear a mask and observe COVID-19 restrictions at the funeral home.

Tommy was a long-time member of the Louisiana Fraternal Police Executive Board and a 32 year veteran with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, where he retired from the rank of Lieutenant. Tommy also served on the Board of Directors of the Easter Seals of Louisiana, the New Orleans Police Emerald Society, and many more.

If you are traveling and need overnight accommodations we suggest the Hilton New Orleans Airport they are offering a rate of $71.00 plus tax (14.2%) for Thursday, January 22, 2021 – Saturday, January 24, 2021. They have shuttle service to and from the airport every 15 minutes.

To reserve a room at the $71.00 rate, guests must call 504-465-1159 and ask for Brandie 8:00am-5:00pm Monday –Friday. A credit card guarantee will be required for each reservation at the time of booking.

To know Tommy was to love him. He touched everyone’s life that he met.

Tommy was a supporter of Easter Seals in Louisiana, the Louisiana FOP’s charity of choice. Here is a link to make a direct donation to Easter Seals in Tommy’s name.

Tommy’s family has asked in lieu of flowers you can make a donation to the Louisiana FOP by clicking here.

Please keep Tommy and his wife, Nancy, in your prayers.

We appreciate Mayor Cantrell’s move to exclude public safety employees from the unpaid furlough days at the beginning of 2021. Hopefully, it will not be necessary to reinstitute unpaid furlough days as a result of COVID-19 (or anything else for that matter). However, there are always officers getting to retire after years and years of service.

For those officers who are preparing to retire, or who may have already submitted paperwork to begin the process of retirement, please be aware that the six (6) unpaid furlough days you have already taken do not count toward your retirement. If you are planning on retiring with 30 years and 0 days, you will be 6 days short. These unpair furlough days are treated like suspension days or LWOP days.

Make sure that you contact LaMPERS to get a correct accounting of creditable pension time before retiring. The pension folks can also be reached by telephone at (800) 443-4248 or (225) 929-7411.