The FOP and "25 to Life"
Monday, February 13, 2006

There has been a lot of talk about the new video game being sold internationally. Craig Floyd, the Executive Director of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has launched a protest against the game. This protest has been joined by The I.U.P.A..

The Fraternal order of Police have not joined in this call for action. Their Executive Director, James Pasco, when interviewed by Officer.com website said that “. . . vocalized protests toward a single game miss the big picture.”

This was a curious posture for the FOP to take, in that they claim to represent police officers. The real story however, is who else they represent. James Pasco, their director and spokesperson is serving a lot more than one master. James Pasco is also a paid lobbyist for SONY Entertainment.

Sony Entertainment helps promote “25 to Life” for play on their Playstation.

This begs the question “for whom was Pasco speaking when the FOP took such a tepid approach to the game where players kill cops, the FOP members or SONY?”

Pasco has also lobbied for corporate employers who stood to benefit from the change in the Department of Labor rules regarding over time. In 2002, while the Fop lobbied to institute the rules and against the Harkin amendment which would protect overtime, he was receiving cash from Phillip Morris, Miller Brewing, and Sony.

While the FOP argued that the new rules would protect ALL police officers, the Department of Labor, just last October, published an opinion letter that would serve to remove lieutenants from the FLSA and could also be applied to sergeants in most municipalities.

Cops deserve to know how their good names and reputations are being used. Especially when they are being sold to the highest bidders like the corporations who pay the executive director of the FOP. They deserve to have an honest answer to the question, “who does he really work for?”

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