FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2010
TMPA, representing more Texas peace officers than any other organization, welcomes the members of the Orange Municipal Police Association.
Orange, Texas - The members of the Orange Municipal Police Association, representing the officers of Orange Police Department, voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with the Texas Municipal Police Association. This vote effectively severs their twenty-year affiliation with the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT).
"The Orange Municipal Police Association is excited to be affiliated with TMPA. We know that this is a step in the right direction for our association,” said Paul Areceneaux, Treasurer of OMPA. OMPA considered the switch from CLEAT to TMPA soon after TMPA’s success in negotiating the contract for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Employee Association.
TMPA staff members are well-versed in government finance and review important financial documents to get an overall feel for the financial health of the city or county. “Its part our commitment to local association leadership and part of our desire to bargain the best contracts in this new labor era,” said Darlene Lanham, Associate Director of Public Affairs for TMPA. She continued, “The officers want to be fairly compensated— but they also live and work here, so they are deeply connected to the needs of the city and the citizens they serve.”
“TMPA is a professional organization that will assist us in building a bridge with our community leaders,” Arceneaux stated. The values of TMPA and OMPA are aligned as both organizations believe that law enforcement labor negotiations should be a matter of team work designed to accomplish common goals, and not the contentious “us vs. them” approach that other organizations use.
In addition to in-house professional negotiators, TMPA offers members superior legal protection through private practice attorneys and guaranteed response to critical incidents, powerful legislative advocacy, local issues support to develop and promote the voice of local officers in their communities, and a comprehensive training program designed to promote professionalism in law enforcement.
TMPA is the fastest growing law enforcement association representing more than 16,000 peace officers statewide.