FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:

John Midgette

NCPBA Executive Director

jcmidgette@sspba.org

 

Randy Byrd

NCPBA Division President

rbyrd@sspba.org

 

 

North Carolina Police Benevolent Association Supports Whistleblower Protections

 

(February 22, 2021) -- The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association (NCPBA), a

division of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (SSPBA), announced today

its continuing support for House Bill 7 (Protect City Employees from Retaliation). The bill was introduced by Representative Bobby Hanig, Rep. John Bradford, and Rep. Jon Hardister and has thirty-five co-sponsors.  House Bill 7 will be heard Tuesday in the Local Government Committee at 1 p.m. The meeting room is 1223/1326.  The meeting will be streamed.

 

The NCPBA is composed of more than 15,000 law enforcement professionals from local, county

and state law enforcement agencies across North Carolina and is the largest law enforcement association in North Carolina.

 

Currently, in North Carolina, municipal law enforcement officers are not afforded protections

against retaliation if they report corruption. State law enforcement officers, however, are afforded whistleblower protection in North Carolina. House Bill 7 provides that a city council that does not have a binding personnel policy, code of conduct, or other procedure protecting employees from retaliation must adopt rules and regulations or ordinances that encourage city employees to report certain improper activity and to protect employees who report such activity from retaliation. Violations of federal, state, or city laws, rules, or regulations; fraud; misappropriation of state or city government resources; and any activity that poses a substantial or specific danger to public health and safety and gross mismanagement, including the gross waste of public monies or the gross abuse of authority, are considered improper activity according to the legislation.

 

The North Carolina PBA spoke to the House Select Committee on Community Relations, Law, and Justice last year on this issue, and whistleblower protection became one of their thirteen recommendations in their final report.

 

In a statement, Division President Randy Byrd said, "Whistleblower protection provides transparency that is critical to good governance and protecting the public trust.” He added, “Those that say otherwise may have something to hide."

 

The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association is a division of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to improving the law enforcement profession. As the largest law enforcement association in North Carolina, the North Carolina PBA has been active in North Carolina for over 25 years. PBA members are full-time or retired employees of the various federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement and correctional agencies in North Carolina.  This professional association, funded by membership dues, provides legal, legislative, disciplinary and other representation to member officers as well as an accidental death benefit to members’ beneficiaries.  For more information, please visit our website at www.ncpba.org.  

 

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