In 1915, the life of a police officer was bleak. In many communities, they were forced to work 12-hour days, 365 days a year. Police officers did not like it, but there was little
they could do to change their working conditions.
There were no organizations to make their voices heard; no other means to make their
grievances known. This soon changed, thanks to the courage and wisdom of two
Pittsburgh patrol officers. Martin Toole and Delbert Nagle knew they must first organize
police officers, like other labor interests, if they were to be successful in making life
better for themselves and their fellow police officers. They and 21 others “who were
willing to take a chance” met on May 14, 1915, and held the first meeting of the
Fraternal Order of Police. They formed Fort Pitt Lodge #1. They decided on this name
due to the anti-union sentiment of the time. However, there was no mistaking their
intentions. As they told their city mayor, Joe Armstrong, the FOP would be the means
“to bring our grievances before the Mayor or Council and have many things adjusted
that we are unable to present in any other way…we could get many things through our
legislature that our Council will not, or cannot give us.”