In 1915 two Officers from the Pittsburgh Police Department formed the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Today the FOP is the world's largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers with more than 324,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges nationally. The FOP is the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities.

The Grand Lodge is the main governing body of all FOP lodges. Each state has a state FOP lodge and local lodges serve under the state lodges. Through the Grand Lodge the FOP offers many services such as credit cards, insurance, investment brokers and travel services. In addition, the Minnesota FOP has a legal defense plan that covers members for civil, criminal, and administrative actions. The Minnesota FOP publishes a bi-annual magazine and the Grand Lodge publishes quarterly newspapers.

As a member of the FOP, you literally have brothers and sisters throughout the country. When traveling if you need assistance or just want to know where a good place to eat is in a particular town there are people eager and willing to help. Two recent examples show how acts of fraternalism flourish in the FOP. A brother recently found himself in a hospital in Florida. The Florida FOP was contacted and made arrangements for the entire family during their time in Florida. Secondly, a North Dakota brother recently had to be flown to the Twin Cities to undergo medical treatment. The Minnesota FOP assisted in making sure that the family was taken care of during their extended stay. In most states the FOP operates private clubs. As a member of the FOP you are assured a warm welcome as a visiting member.

In Minnesota, the first FOP lodge was chartered in 1991 and the Minnesota State Lodge was founded in 1993. Minnesota currently has approximately 2000 members in 21 lodges throughout the state. While the FOP is a national organization each state has autonomy and controls its own activities and finances. The FOP is much like other fraternal groups such as the Masons and the Elks, only it's exclusively for law enforcement officers. Local lodges meet on a regular basis (usually monthly) and set its own agenda and calendar.

Locally, The Fraternal Order of Police Minnesota Lake Minnetonka Lodge #6 serves law enforcement officers in the West Metro area of the Twin Cities.  Lake Minnetonka Lodge #6 operates such as its motto suggests: “Encouraging/promoting participation in charity, fraternal and civic events amoung the law enforcement community”.