Executive Director’s Message
By Thomas W. Bahr
Comments and letters can be sent to Executive
Director Thomas Bahr at
340 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713, or e-mail bahr@wppa.com
I hope that everyone had a good Holiday Season and that this edition of the Wisconsin Police Journal finds each of you and your families well. It will not be long before many of the WPPA members “go jump into the lake.” The 2006 “Freezin’ For a Reason” annual Polar Plunge, for the benefit of Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes, is currently scheduled to start in February and go through March. I would urge all of our hearty members to participate in this worthwhile cause.
For the rest of us that have an aversion to ice water, we can provide our own type of support to the athletes by sponsoring those that are brave enough to take the Plunge in the lakes and ponds of Wisconsin during the winter. There is a wealth of information about the how’s, where’s, and when’s at the Special Olympics website:
There have been several legislative issues that the WPPA has been actively involved in, such as Senate Bill 132, which requires public employers to reimburse law enforcement and other public safety employees their reasonable attorney’s fees if an inquest finds no wrongdoing for actions taken in the line of duty. The WPPA has been the only group pushing for this important legislation, and I am proud to report to you that, on December 21, 2005, Governor Doyle signed Senate Bill 132 into law. As inquests continue to be used more frequently, this new law will protect our members for many years to come.
Another important issue this legislative session is the WPPA's arbitration bill. Assembly Bill 185 would allow municipal police officers to appeal their discipline to an arbitrator, rather than to circuit court, if permitted in the officers' collective bargaining agreement. This bill was approved by the State Assembly earlier this year, and the Senate passed the bill in 2001. Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire), as chairman of the committee to which Assembly Bill 185 was originally assigned, repeatedly ignored our requests to hold a public hearing on the measure. Senator Brown was content to usurp the legislative process and let this important bill die in committee. The WPPA was successful in having Assembly Bill 185 moved to another, and hopefully more receptive, Senate committee. As the 2006 election cycle approaches, we will work to keep you informed as to those lawmakers who have supported the WPPA, as well as those, like Senator Brown, who continue to flagrantly oppose the interests of our membership.
Planning for the 2006 WPPA Convention, to be held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells on May 20-22, is well underway. The events planned for this convention are quite unique, and I would urge our members to make every effort to attend. We have scheduled candidate forums for the candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial and attorney general elections that will be held in the fall. These two forums will give our members the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the candidates.
Our keynote speaker at Convention 2006 is Dr. Alexis Artwohl, an internationally recognized law enforcement psychologist. Dr. Artwohl provides training and consultations across the USA and Canada, and is co-author of the acclaimed book, Deadly Force Encounters. She is a superb instructor with a powerful message, and everyone – officers and their families, and anyone in the community who has a vested interest – will want to attend the two three-hour training sessions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning of Convention 2006.
See you in May at Convention 2006! Stay safe and be careful.
