R S P O A — What’s that?

It is the RETIRED SEATTLE POLICE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
And, it is really important to any officer entering retirement.

It’s about friends!
Our members meet frequently to share good times with friends. Everybody seems to have busy lives and the RSPOA meetings and social functions help keep those old friends from drifting away. New members are always amazed to realize how important this is.

It’s about family!
We all know that cops stick together — at least that is what the newspapers say. But we are family and the RSPOA provides the venue where you can keep track of those members you would otherwise seldom see. When people retire from the department there is a tendency to drift apart. We keep those few close friends but quickly lose touch with other friends and associates that worked with us and backed us up when we needed help. The RSPOA helps to keep that police family together. It is always great to get together, recount the war stories and wonder how the rookies can cope with modern policing. At the Annual Retired Officers’ Banquet or a monthly meeting, it is always great to see old friends.

And, the RSPOA pays for the banquet. What kind of good deal is that?

It’s about your pension!
If you are LEOFF 2, you really need to belong to the RSPOA. When you retire you no longer have representation from the Guild, you have no pension board and you don’t have anyplace in SPD. Your only contact is the state Department of Retirement Services. Improvements to the LEOFF 2 pension generally do not apply to those who have already retired.

A few years ago, the legislature attempted to terminate the LEOFF 1 pension and take all the money out of the system. The RSPOA and its members played a major role in stopping that action. In fact the LEOFF 1 pension system has come under direct attack four times since 2000.  Two of those attacks were in the last two legislative sessions.

We can expect LEOFF 2 to come under the same type of threat. The RSPOA monitors all legislation dealing with the pensions and works closely with other groups and legislators to protect and improve our pensions.

The RSPOA is the only port in this storm!