Blue View by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

On this episode of the Blue View, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Representative Pete Stauber. A former law enforcement officer, Congressman Stauber represents Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District.

During his tenure as a police officer, Representative Stauber was the victim of two violent gun crimes. In 1995, he was shot in the head while off-duty by a criminal with multiple past offenses. A few years later, a suspect pulled the trigger at point blank range, and by the grace of God, the gun malfunctioned. His experience as a police officer solidified his view that more must be done to support law enforcement and create safer communities.

Representative Stauber retired from the Duluth Police Department with the rank of Lieutenant and during his 23 year career, he also served as his lodge’s Vice President.

Body-warm cameras, cellphones, surveillance video—the actions of our law enforcement officers are recorded by multiple cameras every day. Yet, so many times when a video surfaces, the public outcry stems from the fact that the video just looks bad.

There’s no dispute that violent encounters, especially when an officer is being attacked and defending themselves, may not look good on video. So how can we have so many encounters captured in the past 10 years on video and the public still remain so uninformed? The reason is because the public has been conditioned over 50 years with a false impression of what the use-of-force looks like in real life. Television and movies have portrayed everything from physical takedowns to the use of deadly force as something sterile with predictable endings for officers. 

On this episode of the Blue View Podcast, National President Patrick Yoes sits down with Lance LoRusso. A former law enforcement officer turned attorney, Lance has been a use of force instructor for nearly 30 years and has represented over 100 officers following officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.

00:00 – Intro 00:23 – About Lance LoRusso

01:30 – Bodycams

04:08 – Slip and Capture Errors

05:42 – Correcting Misconceptions

16:40 – The Realities of Using Force

20:23 – Blue Line Lawyer Institute

22:07 – Lance’s Books

23:32 – Final Thoughts

Federal law enforcement officers play a critical role in making sure our nation’s infrastructure, government facilities, and institutions remain safe. As a result, they deserve a fair and secure retirement. Unfortunately, nearly 30,000 Federal law enforcement officers do not receive the same retirement benefits as their other Federal law enforcement colleagues.

On this episode of the Blue View Podcast, National President Patrick Yoes sits down with Representative Bill Pascrell who currently represents New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District. In the 117th Congress, Representative Pascrell was the lead sponsor of the Law Enforcement Officers’ Equity Act. The bill, which had over 100 cosponsors at the end of last Congress, is a top priority of the FOP.

00:00 – Intro

00:07 – About Bill Pascrell

10:26 – The 117th Congress

17:37 – Law Enforcement Officers’ Equity Act

23:43 – The WEP and GPO

29:14 – Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus

33:43 – Final Thoughts

Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. Just 2 milligrams of it, enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, can be lethal. From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison.

Across the U.S. we are seeing overdose deaths climb at an alarming rate, especially those caused by the synthetic opioid, fentanyl. According to the CDC, 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

On this episode of the Blue View Podcast, National President Patrick Yoes sits down with Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Anne Milgram. As head of the premier drug enforcement organization in the world, Milgram leads an agency of more than 10,000 public servants, including more than 4,000 Special Agents.

Prior to assuming her duties at the DEA, Milgram served as New Jersey’s Attorney General from 2007 to 2010. In that role, Milgram was New Jersey’s chief law enforcement officer, led the 9,000-person Department of Law & Public Safety, and had oversight responsibility for state and county prosecutors and more than 30,000 local law enforcement officers.

This year, the topics of de-escalation training, preventative measures, and institutional reconstruction are highly relevant in the world of law enforcement. There is no magical “de-escalation pixie dust” that can be sprinkled on individuals in crisis to calm them down. De-escalation is a desired outcome; it is a result. It is not a specific technique or tactic. De-escalation cannot be measured solely on whether an officer did or did not use force. There are times when the application of reasonable force is the only way to “de-escalate” a situation.

On this episode of the Blue View Podcast, National President Patrick Yoes sits down with John Bostain. John is the President of Command Presence Training. He has committed the last 26 years to law enforcement, 24 of which have been as a trainer. He has trained more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals at the state, local, federal, and international levels and is a frequent speaker at national law enforcement conferences. He is also the recipient of the 2021 ILEETA Trainer of the Year award. John shares his experience as an award-winning law enforcement trainer, investigator, and detective. 

In a groundbreaking stride towards enhanced welfare for both retired racing greyhounds and former U.S. law enforcement officers, a unique partnership has been established. Forged by Greyhounds Australasia (GA) and Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) in tandem with the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the agreement promises to carve out a new life for these retired Australian racing dogs as therapeutic companions for first responders in the United States.

On this episode of the Blue View Podcast, National President Patrick Yoes sits down with Rob Vellar, Chairman of GA, and Robert Macaulay, CEO GRNSW, to discuss how this innovative initiative will establish a supply channel, dedicated to transporting these greyhounds from Australia to the U.S., ensuring their smooth transition to their new homes of FOP members in the United States.

Today, thousands of police officers and police families are gathering at the U.S. Capitol to honor our fallen brothers and sisters. The National Fraternal Order of Police is hosting its 42nd Annual Peace Officers' Memorial Service.

Each one of those “white chairs” represents a hero that has fallen, and equally as important, heroes who must carry on.

Their lives have been forever changed and through the efforts of so many, they know they are not alone, for we never forget our fallen and the contribution they and their families have made and will continue to make.

We will never let them walk alone. As long as there is a need for “white chairs” to be set up on the lawn of our Nation’s Capital on May 15th to remember and honor our fallen, our work is not done. Never should we lose sight of the reason we do what we must all do—which is to remember and honor.

Take pride in your efforts, for the Fraternal Order of Police National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service doesn’t just happen; it evolves out of our respect and admiration for those who gave far more than we have. We must never let them walk alone!

On February 20, 2003, Patrolman Jeremy Carruth and PFC David Ezernack, members of the Alexandria Police Department Special Response Team, attempted to arrest a wanted suspect for ambushing an officer a day prior when he fired several shots from an automatic weapon into the officer's patrol car. During the attempt, the suspect opened fire, fatally wounding Patrolman Carruth and PFC Ezernack and wounding three other officers.

For many of us, we can only imagine the pain of losing a loved one in the line of duty. But for one mother, two decades later, she is determined more than ever to honor their memories.

In part four of a four part series focused on Police Week, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Pat Carruth, surviving mother of Patrolman Jeremy “Jay” Carruth.

After having her life flipped upside down, in her role as National President of Concerns of Police Survivors, Pat has made it her mission to help other surviving families march on.

A single memorial service hosted by the National Fraternal Order of Police 41 years ago has turned in to a extraordinary event, attended by thousands, in honor of our nation’s heroes. On May 15, families of fallen peace officers from around the country will head to our nation’s Capital to honor the life of America’s finest who gave their life in the service of others. The sacrifice of these fallen officers and their families will never be forgotten.

In part three of a four part series focused on Police Week, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Andy Maybo and Matt Hagen, Co-Chairs of the National FOP Memorial Committee, to discuss what it actually takes to put on this solemn event.

In their roles, Andy and Matt are responsible for the planning, setup and execution of the National Peace Officers Memorial Service in Washington D.C. Andy is a K-9 officer with the U.S. Capitol Police and the former President of FOP DC Lodge #1. Matt is a Deputy Sheriff with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and president of the Minnesota State FOP Lodge.

A single memorial service hosted by the National Fraternal Order of Police 41 years ago has turned in to a extraordinary event, attended by thousands, in honor of our nation’s heroes.

All across America, families of fallen peace officers will head to our nation’s Capital to honor the life of America’s finest who gave their life in the service of others. On 15 May, we’ll gather on the West Front of the Capitol to honor our fallen Brothers and Sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community. The sacrifice of these fallen officers and their families will never be forgotten.

In part two of a four part series focused on Police Week, National FOP President Patrick Yoes sits down with Dianne Bernhard, Executive Director of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), to discuss the preparations for Police Week 2023 and the massive undertaking of COPS to bring the surviving families to Washington, D.C. for a life-changing experience.