IBPO representative Vincent Champion, left, presents the charter to Local 735 to chapter president Sgt. Scott Butcher, Thursday evening during a meeting at Fernando’s Restaurant.
The East Ridge Police Department is now a union cop shop.
Thursday evening at Fernando’s Restaurant, Vincent Champion, Southeast Regional Director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers presented a charter to the officers who are organized under Local 735.
Champion said that the IBPO has about 62 chapters in the Southeast region representing roughly 6,300 police officers. The IBPO operates under the umbrella of the National Organization of Government Employees and represents not only police officers but also represents correctional officers, paramedics and other government employees.
Champion said the IBPO will provide legal counsel to East Ridge officers in regard to police involved shootings, car accidents and Internal Affairs investigations. It will also assist police officers in filing grievances within the police department.
“I’m not here to run anybody’s city,” Champion said prior to handing over the charter. “”We are here to make sure it is fair.”
Sgt. Scott Butcher, the president of the East Ridge chapter, said 30 of the department’s 45 sworn officers have become members of Local 735. Surrounding departments such as Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Chattanooga Police Department hold membership in the union.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are really on board,” Butcher said. “Some are supporting us but from a distance.”
Butcher said there are no rank and file officers who are dead set against having the IBPO inside of the East Ridge Police Department.
According to its Website, the IBPO offers access to professional negotiators to help with contracts; has a political action committee that finances pro-law enforcement, pro-union candidates; has a legislative team that lobbies in Washington, D.C.; and has a full-time staff of labor attorneys to assist on work-related issues, including arbitration hearings, disciplinary hearings and civil rights lawsuits.
