I first want to thank you for your confidence in me and allowing me to lead such an amazing organization. Several years ago, when I raised my hand to be Governor for District 7 (because Amy Osburn threw an elbow in my ribs while the current governor was looking at me), I never thought it would go this far. That Governor position turned into Sergeant at Arms, to V.P. to where I am today as President. I am forever grateful to those who taught me and mentored me through that process.

I took this office at a time where our foundation was shaken. Where in the state of Kansas we had lost three officers in three months, then September 28th happened, and we ticked up one more with Sgt. Heimann. The death of Sgt. Heimann hit a little closer to home because he worked for the Hays Police Department, the home department of our immediate past president Tim Greenwood and former Sgt. At Arms Phillip Gage. Sgt. Heimann was one of theirs. Just as Sgt. Heimann was one of theirs, Deputy Elijah Ming, Officer Hunter Simocic, and Undersheriff Brandon Gaede was one of “theirs” too. They were friends, family, classmates, and acquaintances to members of this association. The first letter I wrote in K.P.O.A. letterhead was to a widow and her children. That is heavy.

Every time we lose an officer it causes a wound in us. It causes a shockwave to ripple through our profession, our career, and our personal lives. We carry that weight as we proceed through the next months. We carry it on the traffic stops, the domestic calls, death scenes. There’s that ten-mile stare through our windshield as we sit parked thinking over how close the last call was. There is the irritability when we get home because we think “Nobody understands”. It is heavy and it all adds up. 

As anything in life, it’s what we do after something happens that matters. I want you to ask yourself something. “Am I hanging onto the things that are heavy?” “Am I carrying things that aren’t meant for me?” If the answer is yes (for most of us it is) then I want you to focus on the next thing….. What am I doing about it? Self-care is the most important thing you can do to ensure the darkness of this profession doesn’t win and to help ensure you have a solid, healthy career. To some it looks like an afternoon wetting a line, maybe sitting in the tree stand on a nice fall afternoon, hitting up the local yoga joint and getting a good relaxing stretch, a run, a hard session at the gym, healthy chaos (paintball or other combat sports), or finding a solid therapist who “gets it”. Those are all great things, and I want to encourage you to stay the course! Don’t lose yourself in the dark moments of this career. You are so much more than a badge. You are a father, mother, friend, and we need you here.

If you are struggling with things, struggling with the concept of self-care, or just need some resources, please reach out to me. We have a great network of people in this organization, and we can get you the tools to help. Understand, it is ok to not be ok. It is ok to ask for help. K.P.O.A. is here to help, just reach out.

I know this first letter from the President is a little heavy, but I feel it is necessary with the events that have taken place recently. As you can see, I am heavy on self-care and mental health. It is because I have been there. I had brothers who jumped in the trench and showed me the way out. Now I know the way out. Just ask. (bmoore@kechiks.gov)

Enough with the heavy!!! There is a lot of work to do in this next legislative session. Let’s go forth with our mission and do what we do to preserve our profession and keep Kansas an amazing place to live. Keep an eye on your emails for updates and things we are working on.

Love ya’ll,

Braden Moore

 

Dear Members,

The Monday after the 4th is regularly a day for most of us to take a breath and mentally “get back to normal” after a busy holiday week.  The week of the 4th typically brings overtime shifts and unusual calls.  You may get to sprinkle in a little family time, but it is always a chaotic time for cops.  Last week was even more so with the loss of Deputy Brandon Gaede of the Phillips County Sheriff Department.  I can’t help but think about Brandon’s family this morning and wish I could do more for them.  We would be remiss as an organization if we didn’t give pause and acknowledge the sacrifice Brandon made.  He will be missed. 

I am also very proud to be a cop today.  The way our communities rallied to support the Gaede family and ultimately honor him was impressive.  He would have been proud of the way we came together for him and his family.  I’m also keenly aware of other communities dealing with loss and tragedy.  I know as professionals we are all doing our part to help our citizens in every way we can.  I truly hope those officers affected also take some time to reset and recharge.  

As President, I want to thank Life Member Mike Yoder and his team at Trigger Guard for the work they have done in preparing for the upcoming KPOA Firearms Competition on July 19th.  Please plan a trip to Wellington for some camaraderie and trigger time.  We also have the executive board working hard to put together a fall conference that will stand out from others.  It kicks off with a Golf Tournament on September 7th followed by three days of quality training and networking opportunities.  Make sure you get yourself and a new officer registered soon.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone about the upcoming elections for District Governor, in which all members are eligible, and for the executive board, in which current and past governors are eligible.  Letters of interest for the executive board are due by September 1, and elections will be held at the conference on September 9th.  This being my fifth year on the executive board, I will not be running again for President.  I truly appreciate the KPOA and have enjoyed my time serving you.  I just need to scale back my involvement due to professional commitments.

Sincerely,

Deputy Chief Tim Greenwood
Hays Police Department
KPOA President

As KPOA is heading into the busy season. I want to update you on some things we have been working on to support Kansas Law Enforcement.  We have engaged in talks and correspondence with Ed Klump, our association's lobbyist about several bills and proposals that will need our support or opposition.  We’ve already weighed in on proposals like mandatory towing of vehicles for registration violations, and to mandate training of dispatchers in T-CPR.  We rely heavily on Ed’s guidance and the input we receive from you to take the proper stand for Kansas Law Enforcement.  We have also worked closely with the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas Sheriff Association, Kansas COPS, state agencies, and others to create or organize a foundation to provide services and support for agencies and families of fallen officers similar to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation.  Stay tuned for more information about this effort.

Members of the executive committee of the KPOA recently met and trained several District Governors on their responsibilities and the benefits of the KPOA.  Please reach out to them with questions, ideas, or concerns.  Our Governors are a great group dedicated to improving Kansas Law Enforcement.  Additionally, we are actively vetting training for our Fall Conference in September and are excited about the potential line-up. 

Next week we will provide more information about the training conference and legislative matters, including continued discussions with legislatures to provide a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for KPERS retirees and modifications to or replacement of KPERS III.  We will meet with Legislators at the Legislative Conference in Topeka on January 28th.  Please make arrangements to attend, and I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Lt. Tim Greenwood
Hays Police Department
KPOA President

Good morning,

I hope you all enjoyed the conference as much as I did.  The executive board did an excellent job with Amy Osburn at the helm in delivering quality training and excellent opportunities to network at the annual conference.  As we work our way through the feedback we received from the other attendees, we are finding most are of the same opinion.  We will use this feedback to bring the 2025 KPOA Conference back to the same location, and I’m confident it will be just as good if not better than this year’s.  So, I encourage you to start planning now on returning.  We also ask that you bring a new face to the conference.  Not only is it a great opportunity for inexpensive, quality training, but it is the relationships developed at these events that help many of us navigate our careers.  Keep the tradition going by introducing someone new to the KPOA.

As the new President, I want to assure you that the executive board will also continue to represent our profession in the KS Legislature.  Chief Ed Klump (Ret.) does an excellent job speaking on our behalf and keeping us informed about new legislation.  The executive board also continues to work together to provide testimony whenever needed.  We are always looking for assistance with this.  If you enjoy public speaking and/or have a current topic you are passionate about, please reach out to us.  We would love the extra help.

Currently, our KPOA Administrator, Jeff Piper is on a much-needed vacation.  When he returns, I will meet with him, and we will work through the District Governorships.  Many districts are set, but there are still a few with some uncertainty.  We will shore those up, and as promised, I will call those affected by any modifications.  If you are interested in being a district governor, please email me; there are still some areas that need representation.

Lastly, I ask that you to continue to support the KPOA.  Encourage your department head to buy memberships for your entire department and thank him or her if they already do.  Talk with the new officer just starting out and explain the benefits of membership.  The KPOA has been around since 1916 and has over 3,200 members.  We’ve weathered countless changes and challenges, and we continue to be an organization of professionals solving problems together.  Whether this is your first year in law enforcement, or your 45th, you have something to contribute, and we want to hear from you.  That is how we get better.

Thank you and stay safe,

Tim Greenwood
President
Kansas Peace Officer Association
tgreenwood@haysusa.com

This year's conference planning is underway. The exact schedule will be posted soon but it will be great! 

In addition to the conference, we are having a golf tournament and the yearly shooting competition on Sunday, Sept. 8th to coincide with the conference. If you play golf or shoot, please feel free to join us with a team. If you don't do either but want to help in any fashion, we will not turn down assistance of any type.

We hope to see everyone in September. 

Welcome to 2024!

I pray all of you were safe and healthy during this past holiday season. With this crazy weather, please drive safe, and don't forget to warm yourself up as well as everyone around you.

The first week of January brings the new legislative season. This is an important time for KPOA and involves each and every law enforcement officer in Kansas. Decisions are made in Topeka that directly influence your jobs in many ways. I encourage you to get involved and stay informed. I will be sending out emails periodically with updates and you can also watch hearings online.

Next week, the three associations (KPOA, KSA, & KACP) will deliver a State of Law Enforcement Address which will then be followed by the Legislative Reception on January 23rd. Please try to attend. It is open to all KPOA members and it is an opportunity to directly interact with your legislative representatives. 

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at any point.

Cheers to the New Year!

Amy Osburn

Where where has the year gone. It has only been 2 months since the conference. 

For all of you working during this Thanksgiving weekend, please be safe and warm. It appears there is going to be snow in much of Kansas which will create a lot of extra work for everyone on the streets.

Many people struggle this time of year. Whether it is the holidays or the extra long periods of darkness, it is our responsibility to watch out and take of each other.  

If you find that you are struggling and need to talk with someone, here are some great options for first responders:

COPLINE is available 24/7 at 800-267-5463.

Veterans Crisis Line:  800-273-8255 - Press 1

Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  800-273-TALK

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:  988

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving

Amy

This is a friendly reminder, the training year ends on June 30th. If you find yourself short on some hours, there quite a few opportunities both online and in person through KLETC. Please review the KLETC Statewide Calendar for more information: https://kletc.org/calendar  

Just in case you missed it, we are well into the training year for 2023, in fact, we are almost in the last quarter of it. With that in mind, please review the training opportunities KPOA is hosting in your area. 

For each KPOA hosted event, all members are free. However, if you want to attend the training and you are not a member, the fee is simply the cost of your membership.

One last thing, if you have an idea for training you would like to see in your area, please reach out and let me know. My main goal is to provide quality training opportunities throughout the state.

I want to take a moment this week and wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Many of us express our thankfulness during this time of year and yet other’s often express their gratitude. So what is the difference between the two? Thankfulness is an emotion of feeling pleased whereas Gratefulness is showing appreciation for something done or received. These are both are key elements in developing resiliency.

Studies have shown that creating a practice of gratitude can improve your sleep quality, develop emotional regulation, and reduce stress; burnout; and symptoms of PTSD. So how do you develop a gratitude practice? Simple really. Throughout each day, make a conscious effort to name five things you are grateful for. Perhaps you are grateful for the beautiful sunrise you saw while you were on patrol. Maybe you were thanked by a citizen during your shift for something you did. Do not overlook all of the simple things that occur each and every day, even on a really rough day. First responders often see people at their worst but they also see and experience the most amazing moments as well. Do not forget to acknowledge and be grateful for these moments.

I am truly thankful and grateful for each and every one of you and stay safe!!

Amy