One Voice


 

Public safety should always be top priority!

 
 

AZCOPS congratulates La Paz County Sheriff Don Lowery (center) during a meeting of the AZCOPS Board of Directors at the La Paz County Sheriff's Department in early 2009. At left are AZCOPS President Larry Lopez and at right, Joe Escorza, president of La Paz County Deputies Association.

 

 

AZCOPS President Larry Lopez (left) and Director of Government Relations Luis Ebratt (right) with U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (CD1). Ms. Kirkpatrick was endorsed by AZCOPS in 2008. 

 
 
U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (center) received the AZCOPS endorsement and was re-elected Nov. 4, 2008.
 

See the list of AZCOPS-backed candidates who were successful in the General Election of 2008. 

The Employee Free Choice Act is currently being considered by Congress. This Act will allow our national affiliate, the Communication Workers of America, to more effectively organize private sector workers. Without a strong private sector labor movement, there can be no strong public sector and public safety labor movement. 

That is why AZCOPS is asking you to please support the Employee Free Choice Act. You can do this easily by filling out an on-line petition. In the drop-down menu, select local number 7077. Ask other AZCOPS members to complete the form as well.

Learn more about the Free Choice Act

 

 

Fighting Privatization

AZCPOA taking anti-privatization message to the public

 

(Posted: Sept. 30, 2009)

By J. Rodriguez
AZCPOA Vice President
AZCPOA President Mike Duran recently went on television to spread the word and educate the public on what our lawmakers are trying to do. Taxpayers are being kept in the dark about the on-going closed-door negotiations between certain lawmakers and for-profit private prison corporations.

The fight against prison privatization continues. We are reaching out to all members of our AZCPOA union as well as non-members and the citizens of Arizona. The idea of privatizing the Arizona prison system is not the answer to solving the budget crisis as it will only save pennies on the dollar. The real issue we should be focusing on is the issue of PUBLIC SAFETY and the long-term effects of doing this. Do we want private security guards running our prisons or do we want professional state certified correctional workers and officers?Arizona correctional workers walk the toughest beat every day in order to ensure PUBLIC SAFETY. The work that we do on a daily basis is vital to public safety in keeping the most hardened and dangerous criminals behind bars to serve their sentences according to established laws. As public servants, we take pride in our work and we willingly make the sacrifice every day despite the dangers.

Let's get the word out. There is a human element here. There are actual people involved in this process and their jobs are at stake. A move to privatize state prisons will not only have a negative impact on the people who are employed by the state prison system, but it will also have a devastating impact on local towns and cities where most of our prison complexes are located. Both from a public safety perspective as well as an economic perspective.

As of today we have had an outstanding response to this issue and we will continue to move forward. Let's keep the pressure on our elected officials, state lawmakers and the Governor's Office in voicing our opposition. Now is not the time for division. The time has come for all to unite. JOIN US!

We will not give in without a Fight! FIGHT THE FIGHT THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT!

Contact J. Rodriguez

AZCPOA President argues against privatization on Horizon talk show 

Mike Duran, President of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, and Ken Gilroy, editor of "Privitization Watch" for the Reason Foundation, discuss prison privatization in Arizona on "Horizon." The Reason Foundation is a non-profit think tank that advances free market principles and limited government.

Watch the Video