13th Annual Policeman's Ball Banner Across Virginia Street - September 24 1949

THE RPPA - PROTECTING THOSE WHO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY
by Jim Gibbs

At the time of organization in 1936, the RPPA stated that the organization's principal purpose was the establishment of a fund to aid widows and orphans of officers and a retirement fund was also being considered. An annual "Policeman's Ball" was created as a fund raiser for the organization.

The first evidence of the Reno Police Protective Association as a bargaining group for the members appears in an article of January 28, 1950. The article spoke of the RPPA offering to city officials research which compared their salaries and working conditions with those of peace officers in six other western cities. Their research was presented as an argument for substantial pay increases in 1950. The negotiators also attempted to have their work week reduced from six days to five.

In 1969, a small group of officers indicated that they were interested in associating with a national police union. The RPPA president and spokesperson, Ray Oster said if approached, the membership would discuss the association and vote on it. He expressed mix feels about the formal union among members and said the RPPA had been doing well on an informal basis with the city.

ANNUAL ELECTIONS PROVIDE LEADERSHIP FROM WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE DEPARTMENT

THE RENO POLICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION STEPS INTO THE POLITICAL AREA

In 1980 under the Parker administration, RPPA President Joe Butterman who had recently been promoted to sergeant was demoted by City Manager Henry Etchemeday based upon an incident involving several officers. Chief Parker, who ordinarily made recommendations to Etchemendy on police disciplinary matters claimed he did not do so in Butterman's case. Parker said that he did not want it to appear that Butterman was demoted because he was a negotiator for the RPPA.

However, Butterman took issue with the demotion claiming that it was political and he was demoted out of revenge for his RPPA activities. Chief Parker would resign as chief and be replaced by Chief Robert Bradshaw and it would take six years of legal fighting, but eventually the Nevada Supreme Court would agree with Joe Butterman, that he was demoted for political reasons, and he would be reinstated as a sergeant and awarded 6 years of compensation for lost wages.

In the meanwhile, the Reno Police Protective Association would become very politically proactive and challenging of police administration under Chief Bradshaw.

THE RENO POLICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION CHALLENGES THE CHIEF OF POLICE

On April 11, 1981, R.P.P.A. president Joe Butterman aggressively campaigned for a local person to be selected as the new chief of police to replace James Parker. He wrote, regarding the Parker administration, "One would think after nine years of applied and abysmal mediocrity we have just endured, there would be no question but that the next chief of police must come from the department; that the next chief of police would be one who knows his people, their abilities, their limitations, their problems and the solutions thereto."

R.P.P.A. President Butteman went on to predict that an outsider would be selected, and that prediction proved to be correct. The City of Reno would appoint Robert Bradshaw of San Jose California as the next Reno chief of police setting the stage for a decade of clashes between Chief of Police Bradshaw and the Reno Police Protective Association.