(Note: This article was written for publication in the "Call Box".  The Call Box is the quarterly newsletter of the Retired Seattle Police Officers' Association.  The Call Box was published prior to the recent incident in Parkland where four Lakewood Police Officers were murdered.)

As I sat down to write this article I found myself consumed with a flood of emotions stemming from the brutal assassination of Officer Tim Brenton. 

We are all deeply saddened by this event. It is impossible to fully express our sympathy for Officer Brenton’s family and our hope that they are provided with the support and resources to weather the grief.  In an instant, children lost their father and a wife became a widow.  I know that all Seattle Police Officers, active and retired, are experiencing these same emotions.  Indeed the entire law enforcement community feels the same.

Tim was a Seattle Police Officer and part of our family. 

That family is even more personal.  Boyd (Buzz) Brenton is Tim’s father.  Buzz is a retired Seattle Police Officer.  Tom Brenton, another retired Seattle Police Officer, is Tim’s uncle.  This death is not only within the police family but also in a family of police.

Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Brenton family.

The Retired Seattle Police Officers’ Association withdrew from the LEOFF I Coalition effective July 16, 2009.
(This article is from the Summer 2009 issue of the "Call Box" RSPOA newsletter.)

Follow the "Full Story" link for details.

On April 30th, in anticipation of the publication of the Coalition annual report and a concurrent fund rasing effort, the RSPOA circulated the following letter to their members. 

With the crash of the market and the default of some major financial institutions, it is appropriate to look at the impact of these incidents on the pension system.In short, the pension remains healthy and has a substantial surplus.The latest CTF balance figures are for September.They show the LEOFF 1 system holding approximately 5.4 billion dollars in assets.That is a major downturn from the first of the year but it still leaves the system with $1.2 billion of surplus – about the same amount it was at eight years ago when all the fuss about LEOFF 1 first started.

Recently the Coalition issued their Annual Report.  We were disappointed in that report for several reasons.  First, it was not well written and hard to understand.  Worse yet, it had little information.  Did you notice they left out their financial information?  There was no mention of how they are spending the money you donated. 

Eight years!  It all started back in mid-2000 and officially began on October 26, 2000 at a meeting in Yakima.  The outcome of that meeting was the formation of the LEOFF I Coalition. Things looked bright at that meeting and the first few meetings of the Coalition Executive Board.  Items of concern were identified. Prominent legislators met with the board.  There was talk of increases in benefits.  The Pension Trust Fund was $1.1 billion in surplus.  The state had entered a gain-sharing agreement with the Teachers and Anchorage had won a major lawsuit forcing the distribution of their surplus.

As you may know, the Retired Fire Fighters of Washington filed a law suit to reverse the LEOFF 1 pension premium holiday.  After a second hearing on March 8, 2008 in King County Superior Court, Judge Yu denied the RFFOW motion for Summary Judgment against the State of Washington.  She also denied their request for certain records from the State Attorney General citing attorney/client privilege, and their request for attorney fees.  Currently the RFFOW is evaluating the possibility of filing an appeal.