Will Aitchison

A Message From Will Aitchison

Thirty-nine years ago, blessed with the insensitivity to economic risk that younger people have, I started LRIS. The notion was a simple one. Public safety employees and employers needed accessible, affordable, and neutrally-presented information about the workplace rights of law enforcement officers, firefighters, corrections officers, and other public safety employees. The last 39 years have…

Vallejo Police Union President Lt. Michael Nichelini’s Termination Overturned, Returns To Duty Next Week

VALLEJO – An arbitrator overturned the termination of Vallejo police Lt. Michael Nichelini, the president of the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association, who was fired last year after a string of controversial incidents including an alleged threat against a journalist, his attorney said Friday. Attorney Michael Rains, who often defends police officers accused of misconduct, said the…

Javier Ortiz Makes Run For Police Union President On Racial Justice Platform

Recently fired Miami Police Captain Javier Ortiz, the white Hispanic officer who once claimed he was a Black man, has announced he is running to become president of Miami’s Fraternal Order of Police to curb what he calls discriminatory treatment of Black officers. Ortiz is making the comeback attempt after he was fired from the department in September for allegedly…

Houston Voted To Give Firefighters Equal Pay With Police In 2018. Now, It’s Up To Texas Supreme Court

More than four years after Houston voters approved a measure that would grant firefighters equal pay with police officers, the legal battle to decide the referendum’s fate landed Tuesday in the hands of the Supreme Court of Texas. The state’s highest justices heard oral arguments regarding Proposition B, the charter amendment pushed by the firefighters’ union and approved…

Suspension Overturned For Cleveland Police Supervisor Who Responded To Tamir Rice Shooting

An arbitrator has overturned the city-imposed discipline of a Cleveland police sergeant for her role in the aftermath of Tamir Rice’s killing. Cincinnati arbitrator William C. Heekin on Nov. 4 reversed the two-day suspension without pay of Janell Rutherford, a supervisor called to the scene after the 12-year-old was shot by a police officer. Rutherford, who recently…

Officer’s Suicide After Jan. 6 Riot Is A Line-Of-Duty Death, DOJ Says

A Justice Department office has ruled that Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood — who killed himself days after encountering rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — died in the line of duty, according to his family and authorities. The designation from the Justice Department’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program means Liebengood’s family will receive…

Appointment Of Berkeley Police Chief On Hold During Arrest Quota Investigation; Union President Steps Down

BERKELEY, Calif. – The Berkeley city council did not appoint a new police chief Tuesday night and will not do so until an investigation into an arrest quota – made public through leaked texts – is complete. In addition, the union president who is at the heart of the controversy has stepped down.  Berkeleyside reported that City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley…

Judge Dismisses St. Louis Lawsuit Arguing Missouri ‘Police Bill Of Rights’ Is Unconstitutional

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem denied the city’s claims that the 2021 state law bolstering protections for police under investigation for misconduct was unconstitutional. A Missouri judge Monday dismissed the City of St. Louis’ effort to block a 2021 law bolstering protections for police under investigation for misconduct. The city sued in December asking Cole County Circuit Judge…

Lawsuit Filed After Massachusetts Cancels Civil Service Exams for Firefighters

The Boston Firefighters Union is set to meet with the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission on Monday, after initiating legal action against the state over canceled civil service exams. The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission suspended the exams over a 2009 lawsuit brought forward by the police unions claiming the exams discriminate against minority employees. Continue reading at…