Great Lakes Area Coalition

01/07/2026

01/05/2026

When seconds matter, heroic officers from Cortland Ohio jump to action!

Ohio police officers smashed through a sunroof to rescue a trapped driver from a burning car after a crash. Dramatic body camera video shows the rescue.

10/23/2025

Time to rally for our friend John P. Marasco

10/10/2025

Recap of Day 2 of the FOP Great Lakes Area Coalition Labor, Leadership, and Legislative Training at the Four Winds Casino & Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan! 🎓

Today’s sessions featured outstanding instruction from Attorney Marc Curtis, Attorney Chris MacGillis, and Mike Wierena, covering topics such as: Best Practices Following a Critical Incident; Labor Law Updates, including representing members during investigatory interviews and Officer Health and Wellness.

A huge thank-you to all our sponsors, attendees, and instructors for making this event a continued success! 👏

10/09/2025

Recap of Day 1 of the FOP Great Lakes Area Coalition Labor, Leadership, and Legislative Training at the Four Winds Casino & Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan!

Our instructors today included Dr. Mike Knetzger, Chet Effler, and Mark Weaver, who taught some outstanding classes.

A huge thank-you goes out to our sponsors, whose support allows us to provide this exceptional training and fraternal experience for only $100!

Our sponsors include NDS, CrossCountry Mortgage, Life Line Screening, Optavise, National Police Federal Credit Union, EBS, American Income Life, and FST5.

We were thrilled to welcome attendees from Washington, Maryland, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Plenty more great sessions planned for Day 2 tomorrow—stay tuned!

09/14/2025

visitdetroit.com

09/13/2025

🚨 Last Chance to Register! 🚨

Join us for the 3rd Annual FOP Great Lakes Area Coalition Labor, Leadership & Legislative Training Conference at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan!

📅 Thursday, October 9 – Friday, October 10, 2025

💲 Cost: $100 per attendee (includes registration fee, lunch Thursday & Friday, registration gift, and hospitality event)

🏨 Hotel Discount: $149/night

📝 Deadline to Register: September 17, 2025

Don’t miss this chance to learn, network, and grow with fellow leaders from across the Great Lakes region!

Click to Register or Sponsor
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/fopglac2025

03/06/2025

03/02/2025

A great story out of Mayfield Heights Ohio.

Mayfield Heights officers pooled their money this week to buy a 12-year-old a guitar after he lost his saved money in a scam.

02/26/2025

I am thrilled to share some incredible news regarding the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act—a hard-fought victory that the FOP played a leading role in securing.

This afternoon, I participated in a call with staff from the Social Security Administration (SSA), where they provided a significant update:
Starting the week of February 24, 2025, the SSA will begin issuing retroactive benefit payments and increasing monthly benefits for individuals impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

Previously, we anticipated a 12–18-month implementation timeline, but I am pleased to report that the process has been expedited considerably!

Key Updates:
- Retroactive Payments – For those entitled to a back payment, a one-time deposit will be made into the bank account SSA has on file by the end of March 2025. This payment will cover the increase in benefits dating back to January 2024, the official repeal date of WEP and GPO.

- Monthly Benefit Increases – Beginning in April 2025, those previously impacted by WEP and GPO will see their adjusted, full benefits reflected in their Social Security payments.

- SSA Notifications – Any member receiving an adjustment or retroactive payment will receive an official notice from SSA explaining their updated benefits.

The SSA is processing these adjustments for over 3 million people, and while most will be automated, some cases will require manual processing due to individual complexities.

For questions, SSA has a comprehensive website with additional information, and members can call 800-772-1213 for assistance.

This achievement is a testament to the power of FOP unity and advocacy. After decades of fighting to repeal these unfair provisions, we have finally ensured that our members receive the benefits they rightfully earned. I look forward to seeing this implementation move forward quickly and smoothly, bringing long-overdue fairness to those who have served with dedication.

Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes National FOP President