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Brian Peters, MPPOA surprise outside player

 The MPPOA is a Licensed Peace Officer organization. On May 4th 2021 their Executive Director Brian Peters wrote a LETTER to Senator Julie Rosen, Chair, Legislative Commission on Pension and Retirement and Members. The letter throws the full support of the MPPOA behind SF2485 supporting the Working Group exploring adding 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan. 

The MPPOA is not a Labor Union. They are not a 911 Dispatch Organization. On the MPPOA Membership page it states:

Regular Membership
Law enforcement officers required to hold a valid full-time license issued by the Minnesota Police Officers Standards and Training Board and who are employed full-time by either a state, county or local political subdivision. Full-time federal officers having the power of arrest with a warrant are also eligible for enrollment.

 To our knowledge this would be few, if any current 911 Dispatchers in Minnesota. There was a time when many County 911 centers were staffed by Sheriff's Deputies. That day has passed.

Members of the MPPOA are members of the Police and Fire Pension. Maybe the MPPOA should be advocating adding 911 Dispatch to their Police and Fire Pension, after all it used to be a Licensed Deputy Position. Quit advocating changes to our PERA Correctional Plan that you are not part of!

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