Police unions are labor organizations formed to represent police officers and advocate for their interests, including wages, benefits, working conditions, legal protections, and disciplinary processes.
They emerged after World War I in response to issues like wage reductions, cost of living increases, and work conditions. Police unions typically engage in collective bargaining, legal defense for members, support during disciplinary actions, and political lobbying.
This picture shows police unions as powerful labor and political actors focused on protecting their members' interests, often resisting reforms, and shaping local and national politics around law enforcement policies.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]