Zeke, you dont have to join or affiliate with them, you can just attend their meetings and enjoy the brotherhood with them. Im planning on doing the same with the FOP Lodge with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department. My only concern is that I wont like what I hear. This is a "right to work" state and the FOP has no "teeth" to do anything. The officers dont even work under a contract. They have to take what they are offered and thats it!