Maine Association of Police

MAP State ByLaws

The Maine Association of Police (MAP) was established in 1975 by a small group of local police associations. These associations voluntarily banded together to promote and de­velop a friendly cooperative effort among full time municipal law en­forcement personnel. MAP became a non-profit corporation on February 13, 1976, developed a set of by-laws for governance of the membership, and was represented by the law firm of Richardson, Tyler & Troubh.

Over the years MAP has continued to grow and at this time represents 42 local municipal associations consisting of approximately 900 members. Members of MAP believe that the needs of law enforcement should be represented by those in law enforcement positions and will continue to send representatives before the Legislature in Augusta concerning Bills of this nature. MAP is becoming a strong voice in the State of Maine when it comes to issues affecting or dealing with law enforcement

PURPOSE

The MAINE ASSOCIATION OF POLICE is a voluntary organization established for the purpose of making a cooperative effort among full-time municipal law enforcement officers and public safety dispatchers, including the following:

1. Promoting and developing a friendly cooperative effort among its members and the public safety community;

2. Elevating the standards of police officers throughout the State of Maine;

3. Mitigating the hazards of police work;

4. Providing a vehicle through which law enforcement officers and public safety dispatchers may collectively speak on matters affecting them;

5. Representing Individual Members and Local Unit Members in matters of policy, wages, hours and other conditions of employment and for the mutual aid or protection of and for the Individual Members and Local Unit Members; and

6. Assisting Local Unit Members with respect to Federal and State legislation affecting law enforcement, law enforcement officers or public safety.

The Maine Association of Police is a corporation that is not organized for profit, and no property or profit of the corporation shall be used to benefit any person, partnership or corporation except in furtherance of the benevolent purposes of the corporation.

The Maine Association of Police (“MAP”) shall have two classes of Members, to wit: “Individual Members” and “Local Unit Members”. Members shall be qualified in accordance herewith, and shall have the voting rights set forth herein.

Individual Members. Individual Members must be full time sworn law enforcement officers or full-time public safety dispatch personnel, and must be employed by one of the Local Unit Members. The right to be an Individual Member shall not require application or further enrollment proceedings. However, said individuals must elect their membership and pay dues as set by the Board of Directors. Individual Members shall have no voting rights, but shall have the right to attend MAP’s annual meeting, and other special meetings held throughout the year. All Individual Members shall receive notice of MAP’s annual meeting, and any special meetings held throughout the year.

Local Unit Members. Local Unit Members shall be associations of law enforcement officers and public safety dispatch personnel from individual Maine municipalities that have retained MAP as their registered bargaining agent and registered as such with the Maine Labor Relations Board. Each Local Unit Member shall be entitled to one vote at MAP’s annual meeting, or other special meetings held throughout the year. Each vote will be cast by the President of the Local Unit Member or other named highest elected official of that Local Unit Member. If said highest elected official is not present, the vote will be cast by the highest ranking elected official of that Local Unit Member. If no such elected officials are present, the vote will be determined by a consensus of the individual members present

The Board of Directors will be the governing body of the Maine Association Of Police.

The Officers shall be nominated and elected by the Local Unit Members. The Board of Directors (“Board”) shall consist of the President, four (4) Vice-Presidents (first, second, third and fourth), and the Secretary/Treasurer, all of who shall serve for two (2) year terms. The President, the first Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer will be elected in even numbered years; the remaining Vice- Presidents shall be elected in odd numbered years. In the event of a tie vote in an election, other than for President, the President shall determine whom among the candidates will serve the term. The Board members shall receive a stipend as set by the Local Unit members. The Board will govern the conduct of the affairs of MAP except as expressly reserved to the Local Unit Members as provided herein or under law.

The term of office for these positions shall be served in its entirety, absent resignation, or removal pursuant to this Article. At the discretion of the Board, absence from six (6) Board meetings during a one-year period will be deemed hereunder to be a resignation by that officeholder. Upon resignation, the vacancy shall be filled at a special meeting of the Local Unit Members. The Board will appoint members of all committees including but not limited to the Appeals Committee.

The nomination and election of officers, who shall also be the Directors shall be held at the annual meeting of the Local Unit Membership during the month of March to fill expired terms of current office holders. Elections shall be by secret ballot and by a majority vote of the Local Unit Members.Each local benefit association shall pay over on a monthly basis to the Treasurer of the MAINE ASSOCIATION OF POLICE the amounts as the Board of Directors of MAP may ap­prove from time to time as required. Currently, dues are $8.00 per member, per week in a 52 week period.

BENEFITS

The Maine Association of Police, subject to approval by the Board, shall provide and pay for the following services to its Individual Members and Local Unit Members:

1. Competent negotiator for purposes of collective bargaining, including legal

opinion and advice;

2. Representation regarding critical incidents;

3. Competent assistance, including legal advice for purposes of fact-finding,

mediation and arbitration;

4. Competent assistance and legal advice for handling grievances;

5. Representation regarding legislation on State and municipal levels of importance

to the law enforcement profession;

6. Information concerning candidates for elective offices on State and municipal levels;

7. Other services as provided and voted upon by the Board of Directors; and

8. The Board will be authorized to pay any and all legal costs which are reasonable and customary, associated with the proper representation of its membership as outlined in this section and subject to reporting to the membership in its annual financial report. In the event that MAP pays the expenses of arbitration, including legal fees, on behalf of an individual member and the individual member acts in bad faith regarding the arbitration, including but not limited to providing false testimony as found by the arbitrator, the individual member agrees to reimburse MAP for all such arbitration expenses, including legal fees.

In all other respects, the locals shall be fully empowered to handle local fundraising, local disputes, and shall be fully authorized to act in their own interests on their own behalf so long as it does not conflict or interfere with the exclusive authority and purview of MAP set forth herein.