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Newsletter for September - November 2024
By John Fraley, President
In recent weeks I’ve wondered about many things, the election, the state of our country and the world that seems to be in decline. I worry about these things and know all too well that the best thing I can do is vote. I’m not political and in no way would I suggest who to vote for, just look at the big picture when you vote.
When you read this article, you will all know that we have lost many colleagues to the passage of time and by way of illness in recent months. On Friday, August 30th Ed Davis passed away while in surgery. Last I heard Ed, and his wife of fifty-eight years were living in Tennessee. I worked with Ed in the North District, and he worked for me at MIA. Another good cop lost, RIP my friend.
I can’t understand it, but the RPOC is seeing a dramatic number of members failing to renew their membership. It can’t be the money, $30.00 dollars shouldn’t be the answer, most all of us are in the FRS. You know that thing nobody wanted fifty years ago, the one thing we all have now. Is it the reunion? That’s the area I’m most proud of, we gather in Orlando in early May and have several memorable days of fun and excitement, and we pay for your drinks. What’s not to like!
I’m very proud of our Board of Directors and the work we have all put in to make the reunion as successful as it has been. I’m also proud to be the leader of the RPOC and I am honored to be with our membership in sharing our experiences that are in the true style on comradery. Call me 954-651-0451 or email jfraley885@gmail.com me with ideas or concerns. Leave me a message on our RPOC phone line 305-494-2848 and I will call you back.
In closing I would like to pay tribute to passed members. Larry Johnson was my partner in OCB in the early eighties. We worked vice on the strip and though an informant developed a multi-state escort service investigation. We were allowed two drinks as we develop leads that took us to a little store front in NW 36th St. The informant was the subject’s wife who didn’t take too kindly to her husband training the escorts in what to say and do. Larry passed before the case ended in a 7.8-million-dollar IRS verdict in Atlanta, Georgia. Larry was a “good old boy” from “Lou-ville” Kentucky and at times hard to understand with his “drawl”. Larry was a damn good cop, taken from us ‘way too soon. RIP
Garland “you can call me Tom” Arnold was another north end officer in the early seventies. I think Tom was the first “geek” in the then Public Safety Department. He was, I think, the first IT guy that helped bring the department into the electronics age. Tom quickly rose in the ranks of the Department with his uncanny ability to use and apply modern-day technology. I was contacted by a subject I had arrested for DUI, how he got me on the phone at Station One I’ll never know. He offered me a bribe to not show up in court. Tom Arnold put together a surveillance and wired me up for the transaction. He gave me an 8 x10 glossy photograph of the money changing hands. RIP my friend.
Life has a way of guiding us into waning years. At times it won’t be easy so stay in touch with our older members. Reach out, sometimes a phone call will go a long way. May God bless you all and the United States of America.
The RPOC has a number of membership benefits we’d like our members to know about. One of the more important aspects of membership in the RPOC is our ability to remain in contact with each other regarding any number of related issues. To this end we have a very active social media that we provide via several different platforms. Our website at www.rpocpba.org provides a means to join and renew your annual dues and if you have a small business you are engaged in to post a business card ad at zero cost to you or your spouse. There are pictures there from previous events and several informational tabs for easy advising and receiving information. Of GREAT importance is the ability for you to UPDATE your PERSONAL INFORMATION. Cellphone changes, email address, and home addresses. Phone numbers are particularly important if we must get in contact with you for any variety of reasons. PLEASE folks if you have changed your phone numbers or addresses, please double check these things and if you need to update you can do this online. We know you all love to receive your HEAT so addresses are important. We also have our PRIVATE Facebook page where we vet everyone who leaves a request to join. We encourage our members and their spouses to join as there is much information passed among members that could be beneficial for you as well. If spouses, just answer all the questions asked when you log in. You only need to do that once. For those of you who wish to access the private page but wish to remain anonymous on FB we can help you do that as well. Just contact us. You can contact us via our website, on Facebook where you can privately message us or reply to any of the emails we send out and we will respond back to you. For those that wish a phone call back, please contact us at (305) 594-2848 leave a message and we will get back to you.
LET’S STAY IN THE COMMUNICATIONS LOOP SO WE CAN CARE FOR EACH OTHER AFTER ALL WHO ELSE WILL!
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