POLICE ASSOCIATIONS & CHARITIES

The Alliance of Hispanic Law Enforcement represents a fresh perspective and is dedicated in presenting its members with ample opportunity to improve their quality of life. As an ardent advocate for its members, the Alliance is firmly committed to serving the needs of the membership and in providing the direction necessary to excel in our noble profession.

As such, the Alliance of Hispanic Law Enforcement – comprised of any person of Hispanic descent, in whole or in part – was created with the intention to assist in the professional, intellectual, ethical advancement of its members both equitably and fairly.

AALEA is a member of the National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA) and therefore members of AALEA by proxy are also members of NAPOA. NAPOA in partnership with one the local chapters hosts a training conference each year in a different city.

February of 1982 witnessed the tragic deaths of three Chicago Police Officers. Fatefully, two were lost returning from the first officer’s funeral. Police Officers from the Emerald Society of Illinois, with the assistance of then Mayor of Chicago, Jane Byrne, arranged for the presence of the Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society – City of New York Police Department to conduct their “Inspectors Funeralâ€ù in Chicago. This impressive and fitting tribute to these “fallen men in blueâ€ù was the impetus for the formation of the Band. The Bagpipes & Drums of the Emerald Society – Chicago Police Department was subsequently formed in May of 1982 with the help of Mayor Jane Byrne and then Emerald Society President Dan Burke. Playing at the funerals of Police Officers and Firefighters killed in the line of duty was the goal. Throughout the years the Band has participated in over one hundred honor funeral services for members of the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and numerous Suburban, County, State and Federal agencies – including Capitol Hill Police Officer Jacob J Chestnut and Special Agent John M Gibson, killed in July of 1998. In September of 2002, the band journeyed to New York’s Ground Zero to return the benevolence they offered in 1982.

Forty-four members of the Emerald Society of Illinois consisting of State, County, City of Chicago and Suburban Officers gathered to form the Band. Over the years, many members have come and gone for various reasons. However, today the band has over eighty officers in uniform with twelve original members still active in the Band. Even today members of the Band consist entirely of active and retired Law Enforcement Officers from the rank and file of Federal Agencies, State, Counties, City of Chicago and numerous Suburban Police Departments.

Besides our primary function, the band has expanded its purpose to promote the appreciation of piping music. To this end, the band performs at numerous parades throughout the year, highlighted by the St. Patrick’s Day events in the Loop and Southside. As a member of the Midwest Pipe Band Association, the band has participated successfully in various competitions through the midwest.

Several movies that show our Band in action include:

• Backdraft
• The Fugitive
• The Package
• The Negotiator
• Stir of Echoes (Pipe Sergeant Tim Sheehan)

The Band has also performed alongside Doc Severenson, Kevin Matthews, Jay Leno, Drop Kick Murphy’s, Black 47 and Seanchai & the Unity Squad.

In September of 2007, the Band celebrated twenty-five years of service to the members of the Chicago Police Department and the surrounding law enforcement communities by hosting a Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Tattoo at the Chicago Symphony Center. Performing at the Tattoo were the Bagpipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, New York City Police Department, Police Pipes & Drums of Bergen County, Mullane Irish Dancers, Catherine O’Connell, The Larkin & Moran Brothers and of course, the Bagpipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, Chicago Police Department. Mayor Jane Byrne was in attendance as the Bands Special Guest of Honor. The Tattoo was a complete success, and the Band would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Band during the last twenty-five years.

CAWLE is devoted to providing a positive platform for sworn and retired women in criminal justice to network, invoke conversations about progress, goals, achievements, as well as provide mentoring and educational services, while preserving the history of women in law enforcement.

The Chicago Police Enforcers football team is a recognized 501c3 charitable organization formed to raise funds for Police and Children charities. The Enforcers play in the National Public Safety Football League (www.NPSFL.org) against teams from around the country formed with similar charitable goals. Proceeds from our fund raising are donated to several charities including the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation (www.CPDMemorial.org), the Chicago Police Gold Star Families, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls (www.MercyHome.org), and the Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry. As per NPSFL rules, our team is proudly comprised of fully-sworn, full-time law enforcement personnel from the Chicagoland area, as well as federal law enforcement officers working in the Chicagoland area.

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to honoring the lives of our fallen heroes. The Foundation provides support and assistance to the families of Chicago police officers who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

Established in 2004, the Foundation strengthens the relationship between the Chicago Police, its business and civic leaders and its citizenry. It allows us to express our gratitude to the fallen officers’ families for the ultimate sacrifice of their loved one.

The Illinois Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) is an organization dedicated to helping survivors of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. We represent both the survivors of Illinois officers and the families of officers from across the country who call Illinois home. Tragically, over 1,000 officers have died in the line of duty in Illinois.

The National C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today, C.O.P.S. membership is over 15,000 families. Our members include spouses, children, parents, siblings, in laws, significant others, and affected co-workers of officers who have died in the line of duty according to federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a National Board of law enforcement survivors, and our programs and services are administered by the national office in Camdenton, Missouri. In addition to National Police Week activities, our annual retreats or “Hands on Programsâ€ù offer various activities and counseling services for all our survivor groups.

The Illinois chapter received our charter in April of 2005 from the National C.O.P.S. organization. We meet quarterly throughout the state and at various social events throughout the year. Our chapter is able to help our families through the kindness of generous donors, annual fundraisers and a multitude of law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois. We welcome your support of our law enforcement heroes, their families, loved ones and co-workers!

LGPA/GOAL Chicago is an organization dedicated to law enforcement and other first responders whom are members of the LGBT community, whether out or not, in the greater Chicagoland area and surrounds. Many members of LGPA/GOAL serve as representatives of the LGBT Community within their respective departments, liaising between community members and the men and women they protect.

LGPA/GOAL Chicago is a fraternal organization that also welcomes supportive community members, called associate members, through the sponsorship of sworn members, to participate and further the spirit of understanding, acceptance, co-existence and cooperation that is required to bridge the gap of understanding between the diverse lifestyles that modern, urban life affords each of us.

The Hellenic American Police Association (HAPA) is a not-for-profit, police ethnic association founded and dedicated to representing law enforcement officers of Hellenic heritage. HAPA was founded in 1993, in the City of Chicago by Elias Voulgaris of the Chicago Police Department, who saw a need for a fraternal organization, which embraced law enforcement officers of Hellenic heritage. With this as its purpose a constitution and by-laws were adopted. HAPA is chartered by the State of Illinois and recognized by the Chicago Police Department.

HAPA is comprised of active and retired law enforcement officers of Hellenic heritage. While most of our members are CHicago Police Officers, the HAPA is open to and welcomes all law enforcement officers of Hellenic heritage. We are one of only three such associations. The others are the St. Paul’s Society of the NYPD, and the Metropolitan Police Service Greek Staff Association of the Metropolitan Police Service, London, England. We maintain brotherly ties with both associations.

Founded in 1893, the association’s goals are to advance the science and art of police services; to develop and disseminate improved administrative, technical and operational practices and promote their use in police work; to foster police cooperation and the exchange of information and experience among police administrators throughout the world; to bring about recruitment and training in the police profession of qualified persons; and to encourage adherence of all police officers to high professional standards of performance and conduct.

Since 1893, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has been serving the needs of the law enforcement community. Throughout those past 100-plus years, we have been launching historically acclaimed programs, conducting ground-breaking research and providing exemplary programs and services to our membership across the globe.

Professionally recognized programs such as the FBI Identification Division and the Uniform Crime Records system can trace their origins back to the IACP. In fact, the IACP has been instrumental in forwarding breakthrough technologies and philosophies from the early years of our establishment to now, as we begin the 21st century. From spearheading national use of fingerprint identification to partnering in a consortium on community policing to gathering top experts in criminal justice, the government and education for summits on violence, homicide, and youth violence, IACP has realized our responsibility to positively affect the goals of law enforcement.