Our Mission Statement
Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. provides resources to
assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families of law enforcement officers
killed in the line of duty as determined by Federal criteria. Furthermore, COPS provides
training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the
public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors.
An overview of COPS
Each year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their
families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. COPS provides resources to
help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join COPS, for the
price paid is already too high.
COPS was organized in 1984 with 110
members. Today COPS' membership is over 15,000 families. Members include spouses, children, parents, siblings,
significant others, and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty
according to Federal
government criteria.
COPS is governed by a National Board of law enforcement survivors.
All programs and services are administered by the National Office in
Camdenton, Missouri. Chapters function in several states at the
grass-roots level.
COPS' programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors' Conference held
each May during NATIONAL POLICE WEEK,
scholarships, peer-support at the national, state, and local levels, "C.O.P.S.
Kids" counseling reimbursement program, the "C.O.P.S. Kids" Summer Camp,
"C.O.P.S. Teens" Outward Bound experience for young adults, special
retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, and in-laws, trial and parole
support, and other assistance programs. Click
here for more information on these
programs.
 COPS knows that a survivor's level of distress is directly affected by the agency's
response to the tragedy. COPS, therefore, offers training and assistance to law
enforcement agencies nationwide on how to respond to the tragic loss of a member of the
law enforcement profession. Click here
for more information on these programs.
COPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. COPS programs and services are funded by grants and donations. Law
enforcement agencies and organizations are encouraged to support COPS through
Partners in Law Enforcement.
 Cell
Phones For C.O.P.S.
Charitable Recycling will contribute $1.00 to
Concerns of Police Survivors for every cell phone they
receive. It’s simple.
Affix the label to a padded envelope and drop it in
any mailbox. No postage is necessary. Old
cell phones from evidence rooms, old cell phones in
officers’ desks, every one of them could earn C.O.P.S.
$1. Be sure to spread the word about this unique
way to raise funds.
CLICK
HERE FOR LABEL
Have
You Contacted Your Congressional Leaders Yet??
During National Police Week 2007, Congressman Bart
Stupak of Michigan, a retired MI State Trooper,
introduced H.R. 2391 for consideration by the Congress.
The bill would amend title 5, United States Code, to
make family members of public safety officers killed in
the line of duty eligible for coverage under the Federal
employees’ health benefits program. The bill has been
referred to a House subcommittee for review.
Knowing that affordable, comprehensive health care
coverage is a major financial burden for families of
fallen public safety officers, it would certainly be in
the best interests of C.O.P.S. members to write their
congressional representatives. Ask them to not only
co-sponsor this bill but to vote for its passage when it
reaches the House floor for a vote.
This bill has gone absolutely nowhere in the Congress
because law enforcement isn’t putting enough pressure on
Congress to even consider this bill. With affordable
health care being the number one concern for surviving
spouses of public safety officers killed in the line of
duty, we all need to write our Congressional leaders NOW
to get the bill moving.
Trey Hutchison Act Could Be Lifesaver for Officers
The National Board of Concerns of Police Survivors
will review the possibility of promoting nationwide
passage of the Trey Hutchison Act, which recently passed
the Louisiana legislature. The Hutchison Act would make
it mandatory for persons found guilty of a violent
assault of a law enforcement officer to register with a
registry board within their state every time they change
residences. Any calls going to those specific residences
would carry an additional alert warning the responding
officer of the past history of violence against officers
of someone at that residence.
Sample
letters that you can send on both of these legislative
issues.
COPS
P.O. Box 3199
- 3096 S.
State Highway 5
Camdenton, MO 65020
Phone: 573-346-4911
- Fax: 573-346-1414
cops@nationalcops.org
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