National Police Support Fund continued to grow and make a difference around the country in 2019.
Over the past twelve months, we’ve continued to build upon the foundation that will support our work for years to come. We conducted opinion polls and created a voter guide that reached and informed tens-of-thousands of supporters. Through our membership drives, we’ve gained over 80,000 members and supporters who believe in standing up for what is right and fighting for our officers’ rights.
Here are a few highlights from our efforts:
National Police Week
Once again, National Police Support Fund was in attendance during National Police Week, held annually in Washington, DC. Over 40,000 current and former police officers and citizen supporters attended the 27th Annual National Police Week.
This year, National Police Support Fund was excited to partner with the Fraternal Order of Police DC Lodge #1 to host food and beverage and shuttle buses to and from Tent City.
While in the Capitol, we were able to attend one of our favorite events, the Police Unity Tour. This gathering of officers from across the country and all walks of life is highlighted by a 260-mile bike ride ending at the National Police Officers Memorial. The cheers from spectators participating in the Unity Tour sent a message to officers that their sacrifice and service are not forgotten. The “ride for those who died” is an emotional event and it’s humbling to see first-hand the sacrifices officers make each day.
Another emotional event we attended was the annual Candlight Vigil for fallen officers.
Every one of the 163 police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2018 were mentioned individually during the vigil. Thousands of attendees paid their final respects to the officers who paid the ultimate price for their bravery.
Finally, we wrapped up our attendance at National Police Week 2019 by attending President Donald Trump’s speech to the gathered crowd of officers and supporters. His remarks were focused on remembering the lives of fallen officers and calling on Congress to impose tougher penalties on those that kill cops. The speech was delivered to a crowd of thousands of law enforcement officers, their families, and their allied supporters from across the country that had gathered to remember those lost in the line of duty.
Conferences and Events
National Police Support Fund spent some time this year connecting with our partners and supporters at industry conferences in order to gather first-hand perspectives on issues affecting law enforcement officers across the country. Some highlights included:
- National Sheriff’s Association conference
- Spring National Trooper’s Coalition conference
- Fall National Trooper’s Coalition conference
We were able to engage with police chiefs and other leaders across the country and gain a better understanding of their concerns and issues that matter most to the men and women in blue. Lessons learned will be used to focus our efforts in 2020 and beyond.
Advisory Committee
National Police Support Fund welcomed a new member to our advisory committee this year. Dr. Michael Casey is a military veteran with years of experience volunteering for just causes and fighting for what’s right. Casey’s dedication to a life of service gels with our mission to respect our public servants. Casey says it best:
“You know, in the military, I wrote a blank check to the U.S. government for everything up to and including my life, and the law enforcement people in a sense, do the same thing,” said Casey. “They never know what they are going to face. You know, a routine traffic stop can turn deadly, and so, it takes a lot of dedication and persistence to be a law enforcement officer, and a lot of the integrity and a lot of the discipline that the military instills, it’s the same thing you find in law enforcement. And again, I have a tremendous amount of respect for law enforcement, but especially lately with a lot of the lawlessness that is happening in our society.
You can read more of his thoughts here, here, and here.
Ballot Measure Report and Analysis
Over the past two years, our team analyzed 108 ballot measures related to police funding from 31 states across the U.S. Ballot measures allow voters to weigh in directly on issues, rather than voting for lawmakers to approve policy.
The study found that support for police-related funding and facilities is strong. Nearly 75% of ballot initiatives on police operations and jurisdictions passed, giving police the critical power and resources they need to complete their work.
The report was well-received in the press and was picked up by 136 news outlets including PoliceOne.com and The Daily Herald. You can read the full report at:
Restore Respect Petition
Finally, we launched a campaign last fall to restore respect for police officers across the country. In just a few months, we gathered more than 15,000 signatures from supporters who can hit the ground running on outreach and advocacy in 2020. I am excited by the response we received and heartened by the fact that we can build strong grassroots support for our law enforcement officers. You can learn more about the petition and sign up at:
Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to work toward accomplishing our goals and provide a voice for officers nationwide. We look forward to continuing our efforts and expanding into 2019 and beyond.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on our activities, sign up for our monthly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Simon Lewis
Executive Director
National Police Support Fund
