National FOP VP honors local 50-year FOP members
Members of the FOP attending, including those honored, were Ohio FOP President Gary Wolske, left, National FOP Vice President Joe Gamaldi, Tuscora Lodge #4 President Robert Everett, Denny Vitt, Tom Staggers, Craig Kohler, Rick Campbell, Jeff Kirkbride, Rick Moran and Charles Davis. Not pictured is Bill Fieger, who was unable to attend.
National Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Joe Gamaldi from the Houston Police Department was the guest speaker when the members of the FOP Tuscora Lodge #4 met to honor their 50-year members at the New Philadelphia Elks Lodge recently.
This is the first awards banquet since October 2018 and was organized by Robert W. Everett, president of the FOP Tuscora Lodge #4.
Those honored
Thomas Staggers started his law-enforcement career in September 1973 and retired in March 2002. He served his entire career with the New Philadelphia Police Department.
Charles Davis started his law-enforcement career in July 1970 and retired in May 1999. He served his entire career with the Dover Police Department.
Richard Moran began his law-enforcement career in February 1973 and retired in August 1997. He served his entire career with the Dover Police Department.
Jeffrey Kirkbride started his law-enforcement career in March 1973 and retired in May 2000. He served his entire career with the Dover Police Department.
Rick Campbell started his law-enforcement career in April 1971 with the Strasburg Police Department. He also worked a brief time at the New Philadelphia Police Department before going to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Department, where he retired in September 2006.
Dennis Vitt started his law-enforcement career in January 1973 at the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Department and later went to the New Philadelphia Police Department, where he retired in January 2001.
William Fieger started his law-enforcement career in January 1964 with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and retired in February 1986.
Craig Kohler began his career in June 1973 with the Dennison Police Department.
Also honored were two FOP members who have more than 50 years of service: Dave Archer and John Grasselli.
Gamaldi read the names and honored the local 50-year members in his speech.
“A lot of our members were really looking forward to seeing him and meeting him,” Everett said, adding he scheduled the banquet around Gamaldi’s schedule to ensure he could attend.
Gamaldi complimented the 50-year members for their service.
“We have become the unequivocal No. 1 voice for law enforcement in this country, and that’s exactly how it should be,” Gamaldi said. “We’ve been relentless in defending the hard-working men and women in law enforcement. We’re reaching millions because we fought back against the false narratives. We fought back against the demonization, denigration of law enforcement in this country.”
Gamaldi expressed his thanks to the 50-year members.
“They’re responsible for one of the largest crime decreases in this country that we’ve ever seen. Prior to the massive crime spike that we’re seeing right now, our honorees delivered historic crime reductions in our urban communities, the safest we’ve ever seen in the modern era,” Gamaldi said. “Because crime is up now, it doesn’t mean that what they did, it’s not in vain. Because what they did in the past provides a road map for us in the future.”
A concern for the FOP is elected officials who want to take a holistic approach with violent criminals. Gamaldi cited the situation in the city of Chicago, where violent crime is up 39%.
“Those cops deserve better; those community members deserve better. They deserve to be able to walk their kids safely to school,” Gamaldi said. “We’re going to continue to fight. And we’re going to talk about crime in our communities.”
Homicides in the United States were recorded at more than 20,000 in both 2021 and 2022, a number that could rise because some cities haven’t reported their numbers yet.
“2021 was the deadliest year for law enforcement and intentional homicides in over 20 years,” Gamaldi said. “In 2021 we had over 340 police officers shot, in 2022 over 330. And this year we’ve already had 100. Ambush attacks are through the roof. We post these numbers every single month and yearly because we want to make sure that we continue to raise awareness with the American public of just what’s going on. And we’re going to continue to hold politicians accountable and calling them out when they’re not condemning the violence against law enforcement.
“We’re going to continue to raise the alarm for our members. We’re continuing to make sure the public knows that (law-enforcement members are) going to work with targets on their back. And we’re going to make sure that we keep this issue front and center for the American people because that’s exactly where it belongs.”
Gamaldi said the rising crime rates are not fair to communities.
“They all deserve to feel safe, but the pendulum will swing. It always does. And the road map that these brave men have laid out for us through your blood and your sweat and your tears will be used again to bring back law and order,” Gamaldi said.
Gamaldi is in favor of a Protect and Serve Act, which would make it a federal crime to knowingly assault a police officer.
“I may have painted kind of a bleak picture of where we are. But every day 750,000 brave men and women across this country, they show up, and they put their lives on the line every single day. They learned from the example you all have set,” Gamaldi said in addressing the honorees.
Also attending the event to honor the 50-year members were State Rep. Brett Hillyer and Ohio FOP President Gary Wolske.