Our mission
Foster a relationship between the residents and their officers
That single sentence is the whole reason this lodge exists. Everything else — the charity work, the scholarship, the member support network — is a way of keeping that promise.
We are trying to grow and foster a sense of community among like-minded individuals while making a difference in the community we live in and serve. Our members are active and retired officers from agencies across Sarasota County and beyond, and our work stays local: Venice, Englewood, North Port, Sarasota, and everywhere between.
We are your local law enforcement officers that work and live in this community. Our mission is to foster a relationship between the residents and your law enforcement officers.
Lodge at a glance
| Lodge | Sarasota County Law Enforcement Officers #45 |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Sarasota County, Florida |
| Annual dues | $52 |
| Mailing | P.O. Box 1025, Venice, FL 34284 |
| Meetings | 1375 Ringling Drive, Venice, FL 34285 |
| sarasotafop45@gmail.com | |
| Phone | 941.780.1909 |
Leadership
Your lodge officers
Elected by the membership to run the lodge, steward its funds, and represent Sarasota County officers.
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Since 1915
Where the Fraternal Order of Police came from
In 1915, two Pittsburgh patrolmen named Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle had had enough. Officers were working grueling twelve-hour shifts with no voice and no recourse. Along with twenty-one other officers, they founded a fraternal organization that could, in their words, "bring our aggrievances before the Mayor or Council."
They called it Fort Pitt Lodge #1. What began as a room full of patrolmen asking for a fair hearing has become the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the country — more than 2,100 local lodges and more than 325,000 members across the United States.
What that inheritance means in Sarasota County
The national organization gives our members a voice in Tallahassee and Washington. But the part you actually feel is local. A lodge is only as good as what it does in its own county — which is why ours puts its energy into scholarships for members' families, support for officers going through something hard, and steady backing for the Sarasota County charities that need it.
Eligible to join?
Any full-time or honorably retired law enforcement officer may join the FOP. See the membership requirements →
Work with members in our community
Whether you carry a badge or just want to stand behind the people who do, there is a place for you here.