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Northwest Florida Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)  Formed
10/30/09 - 09:56 AM

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On July 9, 2009, the Northwest Florida Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) was chartered by the National Board of C.O.P.S. The Northwest Florida Chapter is comprised of 90 members and will serve law enforcement survivors and affected co-workers in the Counties of Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington. The chapter’s purpose is to provide strong peer support at the grass roots level and assist newly-bereaved law enforcement families to attend grief retreats provided by the National C.O.P.S. organization. C.O.P.S. depends on its chapters to be available locally when an officer is killed in the line of duty, responding shortly after the tragedy, attending wakes and funerals, meeting with surviving family members, and being available to answer questions about the issues that often arise with a sudden, violent death. 

C.O.P.S. has a membership of more than 15,000 surviving families and, unfortunately, that membership continues to grow as 140-160 law enforcement officers are killed every year in the line of duty. That statistic underscores the need for Concerns of Police Survivors, a nonprofit organization. C.O.P.S. sole mission since 1984 has been to help rebuild the shattered lives of the surviving family members and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. C.O.P.S. helps the officers’ survivors by providing emotional support and healing programs needed to cope with a sudden and often violent death. C.O.P.S. is a national organization headquartered in Camdenton, Missouri, with 50 chapters throughout the United States.

Florida already has 4 other C.O.P.S. Chapters serving the State:  Northeast Florida, Central Florida, West Central Florida, and South Florida. With the counties covered by the new Northeast Florida Chapter, 100% of Florida is covered.

C.O.P.S. hosts a week-long summer camp for children 6-14, a wilderness experience for teenagers 15-20, and retreats for adult-aged children, parents, siblings, spouses, and in-laws of fallen officers. Starting in 2010, C.O.P.S. will be holding a retreat for affected co-workers. C.O.P.S. also holds a two-day grief conference each May during National Police Week.  C.O.P.S. conducts the “Traumas of Law Enforcement”, a 3-day training seminar teaching law enforcement agencies the tools needed to develop general orders addressing traumatic issues affecting officers and to sensitize them to the emotional support needs of fallen officers’ surviving families.

Visit C.O.P.S.’ website, www.nationalcops.org, for a complete list of chapters and the programs offered to America’s surviving law enforcement families.