Fight the (FOP) Power!

Fighting the Power of Police Fraternal Organizations: An Organizer’s Playbook

Police Fraternal Associations (also referred to as police “unions”) represent a powerful political force that stands in the way of progress on virtually every front of social justice movements — they vociferously oppose and block efforts to meet, prevent, and respond to crises with care instead of criminalization, vehemently defend the violence of policing and punishment, viciously target anyone who challenges their power, and command deference from politicians and policymakers by claiming to be the exclusive arbiters of public safety.

This playbook is for community members, workers, activists, organizers and targets of police violence to use when fighting back against police fraternal organizations. In it, we summarize information, strategies, and tactics to challenge and diminish the power of police fraternal organizations and remove the obstacles they place on our paths to safer, more just and liberatory communities.