ABOUT US
What is C.O.P.S.?
Our Mission
Rebuilding shattered lives of survivors and co-workers affected by line of duty deaths.
Our Vision
Secure in the knowledge that C.O.P.S. provides exceptional services to surviving families, co-workers and the community; in the event a line of duty death occurs, the agency notifies the family and then C.O.P.S. for immediate response and lifelong support.
Who We Are
Membership
Our membership is over 300 families – it includes spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty according to federal government criteria.
There is no membership fee to join – the price you’ve paid is already too high.
How We can help
We provide a police week orientation for new surviving family members and co-workers, peer-support, and trial and parole support. We also host annual social events like our our end of year Holiday Party, bringing surviving family members and co-workers together to uplift and support each other.
law enforcement agency training
We know a survivor’s level of distress is directly affected by the agency’s response to the tragedy. We offer training and assistance to law enforcement agencies on how to respond to the tragic loss of a member of the law enforcement profession.
501(c)(3) non-profit organization
C.O.P.S. Arizona is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our programs and services are funded by private donations and supporter’s purchase of our state license plate, Families of Fallen Police Officers.
History of National C.O.P.S
On May 14, 1983, on the eve of the second annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, ten young widows gathered around a table and talked about the tragedies that had fallen on their families that year and truly shattered their lives. Each and every widow had suffered the loss of their law enforcement spouse in the line of duty.
After hours of sharing their burden of grief and their tales of abandonment by the law enforcement agency, a young widow from Eau Claire, WI, Lynn Bolton (now BeBeau) approached Suzie Sawyer, then FOP Auxiliary National Secretary and Memorial Service Coordinator, and stated, “This is the greatest thing that has happened to me in the past year. I have finally found people who understand what I am having to deal with. Next year couldn’t we have a seminar?” Suzie Sawyer replied, “And what would we talk about — death?” “Yes,” the young widow replied. “Somebody needs to talk about death in law enforcement!”
On May 14, 1984, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc., was officially organized. On that date, 110 law enforcement survivors from across the country gathered for the first annual National Police Survivors’ Seminar held in Washington, DC. On this date, the survivors voted unanimously to organize C.O.P.S. as a totally separate entity from any police organization so the needs of any law enforcement surviving family could be met regardless of what police political affiliation the officer had with various police labor organizations.
National C.O.P.S. Campaign
Local C.O.P.S. Chapters
Local chapters are nationwide and work with survivors at the grass-roots level. All chapters are governed by and follow the by-laws established by National C.O.P.S. in addition to chapter by-laws.
C.O.P.S. Arizona Chapter was re-established in 1999.
National C.O.P.S. Today
C.O.P.S. membership is over 47,000 survivors. 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. C.O.P.S. provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.
Survivors include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, extended family and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty. C.O.P.S. is governed by a National Board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri.
National C.O.P.S. 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, extended family, and co-workers, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.
C.O.P.S. knows that a survivor’s level of distress is directly affected by the agency’s response to the tragedy. C.O.P.S., 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. C.O.P.S. is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. C.O.P.S. programs and services are funded by grants and donations.
Our Partners & Sponsors
