Philadelphia police union to receive U.S. pandemic aid loan packages

Philadelphia police unions will receive two pandemic aid loans from the U.S. government, according to new data released from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of the Police Home Association will both receive loans aimed at helping small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.

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Data released Monday showed that six police unions in total nationwide received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The PPP is meant to prevent small businesses who employ less than 500 people from having to fire employees due to the economic pressures of the public health crisis. PPP loans range between $150,000 and $10 million per loan.

Philly's police unions now receiving the PPP are made up of employees of the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office. Both of these employers reported to Reuters that they had not laid off or furloughed any workers due to the pandemic. 

This means union dues, which are paid by police union members, will likely not have decreased significantly. The Philly unions mentioned typically receive about 90% of their revenue from these dues.

A loan of between $350,000 and $1 million will be paid to the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police and a loan between $150,000 and $350,000 will be paid to the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of the Police Home Association.

The latter organization is a separate nonprofit which maintains a lodge used for the Philadelphia Fraternal Order's union meetings.

The six police unions in total receiving PPP loans represent around 110,000 police officers. Philadelphia's police union represents around 14,000 members.