West Melbourne Dials 9-1-1 For PBA Help

Beset with a highly-charged and overly political city hall, the men and women of the West Melbourne Police Department have enlisted the CFPBA for help in standing up to the bullies. The unit – one of the few in Brevard County not represented formally by PBA – has signed the interest cards with PERC and an election is forthcoming. The timing could not be better for these hardworking law enforcement specialists. With a city council member intent on destroying the police department and a chief facing new allegations regularly from an anti-law enforcement city hall, the troops have called in for backup. And the CFPBA is here. “These officers are facing the most trying of times and deserve the best possible on-the-job protections,” said Vincent L. Champion, CFPBA President. “We look forward to the future and making sure the WMPD officers get the respect they have earned.”

Pinic in Brevard 11/19/2011: Mark Your Calendars

All Brevard county PBA/PEA members are invited to attend an upcoming picnic designed to bring members and their families together on Saturday, November 19 from 11am-3pm at Burton Smith Park in Cocoa. The event will offer free food, games and live music. All members are encouraged to attend if not on-duty. Don’t miss this free and fun event.  

A Message from the President (December, 2011)

Dear Members:

Normally in this space I highlight the latest hypocrisy or hostility from this city or that city. And I know sometimes it seems like a broken record. While the staff at the CFPBA/PEA and I seem to be perpetually neck-deep in fighting against this continuous activity, I want to take a timeout and wish each of you the best this holiday season. It is impossible to overlook the role each of you played in 2011 to help this organization succeed. Together we are working to make sure the employment and advancement of our driven civil servants in eleven counties is both recognized and respected. It hasn’t always been easy.

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More Endorsements Announced

With just a few more days until voters in Rockledge, Sebastian and Vero Beach will choose new city officials, the CFPBA/PEA is proud to announce the following endorsements:

Rockledge city council: Frank Forrester
Sebastian city commission: Andrea Coy, Damien Gilliams, Amber Miller
Vero Beach city council: No endorsements

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Debate Scheduled for Brevard Sheriff Candidates

With a rare, open race for sheriff in Brevard county next year, the CFPBA is doing all it can to ensure our members have a voice and make an informed decision as to who  should be the next chief law enforcement officer in the county. To that end, the PBA has scheduled February 23, 2012 at the Police Hall of Fame in Titusville to host a debate among all active candidates for Sheriff. Current candidates include Gary Harrell, Wayne Ivey, Cliff Lewis and Todd Maddox.

All CFPBA members are encouraged to attend and bring questions. Doors for the event will open at 6:30pm with the debate running from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.

Atlantic Beach Endorsements Announced

The City of Atlantic Beach is often mistaken for a sleepy Jacksonville-area bedroom community. The truth is the overworked men and women of its police department have frequently found themselves at odds with administration. Later this month, Atlantic Beach voters will have a chance to right that wrong to some degree by replacing three longtime incumbents with fresh faces.

The CFPBA is proud to endorse Mark Tomaski for Mayor, Maria Mark for Seat 2 and Mark Beckenbach for Seat 3. Each of these individuals attend a screening held on August 15th and demonstrated their willingness to work with our association and our members. That’s a stark difference from the three incumbents, each of which chose not to attend the screening.

The CFPBA urges Atlantic Beach voters to choose Tomaski, Mark and Beckenbach in this year’s city elections!