American Police Officers Alliance has accomplished some great things in our first year of existence. We’ve met with state and local leaders and advocates, led political projects, and participated in celebrations of officer achievement and remembrances of sacrifice. Here’s a brief summary our very productive 2018. We look forward to being even more active in 2019.
For new readers or supporters: American Police Officer Alliance is a national political organization structured under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code and is committed to helping elect local leaders who respect and understand the decisions police officers are forced to make each day, and will fight for their rights and ensure that police officers are receiving the support, tools, training, and compensation they need and deserve so they can remain safe as they protect citizens.
Supporters of the organization include police, citizens, organizations and public supporters working together to ensure the nation’s finest and citizens have a unified voice in politics that truly represents sound public safety and respect and honor of those who serve.
2018 Highlights
Highlights of the past year include National Police Week participation, conference and outreach activities, and overall organizational accomplishments.
National Police Week
This is an event that honors officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty while protecting others.
The American Police Officers Alliance attended the events held in Washington DC this past May, taking part in memorials and conference sessions throughout the week, and advocating on key issues like Police safety, recruitment and training. In addition, the organization:
- Conducted an on the ground survey and obtained hundreds of responses.
- Added 300 new volunteers to APOA volunteer roster.
- Attended the memorial service on the last day of National Police week featuring remarks by the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. The officers were very supportive of the President’s agenda on law enforcement.
While there organization member saw first hand the level of closeness that is evident in the law enforcement family. One organization member also interviewed a young boy who provided at least 12 dozen donuts during the annual law enforcement ride ceremony that took place. For more details, see our recap of our participation in National Police Week
Conferences and Outreach
American Police Officers Alliance was able to attend and participate in the following conferences:
- At the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference organization members spoke to law enforcement officers on the various challenges they are currently facing and what the organization can do to better support them.
- International Association of Chiefs of Police-October 2018 The American Police Officers Alliance sent two representatives to the conference during October 6-9, 2018. This conference is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of law enforcement officers in the world.
We Asked America
To better understand what’s important to Americans who care about law enforcement, American Police Officers Alliance conducted a brushfire poll earlier this year called, “We Ask America.” We asked registered voters questions about a wide variety of law enforcement issues, including police department funding and training, crime problems, perceptions of government, and more. Positives include a finding that there is still a high level of trust in local police officers. We also learned that people trust their local government more than state or federal levels to handle law enforcement issues properly though only 1/3 of respondents believed that elected officials are currently doing enough to support our police officers in terms of providing safety equipment, protections from wrongful suspensions, and other issues affecting morale. Some of the more interesting results from the survey can be seen on our survey summary blog post. Download the full results and let us know what you think.
Organizational Accomplishments
- Developed a grassroots donor base of over 10,000 citizens across the U.S.
- Launching an advisory committee of citizens, advocates, and law enforcement professionals.
- New blog posts and introductory videos on the American Police Officers Alliance website.
- Planned grassroots outreach with various stakeholders including Fraternal Orders of Police and other allied organizations.
- Planning the release of a Fall 2018 educational campaign that will reveal the current pulse of America on the topic of police officers.
If you would like more information on the activities of the American Police Officers Alliance and how fundraiser contributions help, check out out on social media or contact us at [email protected].
Daniel Stuebs
Executive Director
American Police Officers Alliance
