BELOW ARE SOME OF THE LEADING INFLUENTIAL PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT HAVE SHAPED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FIELD SINCE THE LATE 19TH CENTURY IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FIELD AND HAVE TAKEN THE PROFESSION FROM THE OLD “COP” DAYS TO CURRENT MODERN PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

In the late 19th century, Law Enforcement was shaped by the ethnic and cultural makeup and by the decentralization of police authority within the jurisdiction (Cities, Municipalities, and Counties). The strong aspects of the decentralized approach brought the police and the public into close contact. Police knew their neighborhoods and their citizens. The officers usually came from the very community they policed, and they usually knew the individuals involved in criminal activity. 

Decentralization had its problems, which are still with us today, by a tiny percentage of police: Corruption and Racial Profiling. And the primary concern is the number of police agencies in the United States with over 16,000 local Law Enforcement Departments and Offices across the United States. 

The number of Law Enforcement agencies has in part kept the United States from developing National Policies on police functions and policies required for a modern Law Enforcement operation. However, Law Enforcement professionals have independently banded together over the last 130 years to develop organizations that provide Management, Technical, and Educational direction. Five of those organizations are featured.

One example from each organization is discussed here. 

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Today, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has thousands of members, and it is one of the world’s largest “Member” Law Enforcement organizations. Started in 1893 as the Union of Chiefs of Police, it was renamed in 1902 as the International Association Chief of Police ( IACP ).

The IACP was started by a group of Determined, Professional, and Successful men working to build “police work” into a
“Profession.” One of it’s first significant ventures was the development of the first standardized “Crime Statistics Report” in 1922. By 1930, The Department of Justice, FBI, converted that report model into the Tital 28, Section 538, US Code, or as it is better known, the Uniform Crime Records ( UCR ).

The UCR is a voluntary report submitted to the Department of Justice of the number of designated criminal activities in police jurisdiction. All police jurisdictions are issued UCR numbers by the Department of Justice. In the first year that data was submitted, 400 Police departments submitted the report.

Original 7 Voluntary Reports

  • Murder
  • Non-Negligent Manslaughter
  • Forcible Rape
  • Burglary
  • Aggravated Assault
  • Larceny
  • Motor Vehicle Theft

The organization has developed many more improvements in the field, too many to list, that have advanced the Law Enforcement field over the there 130 years.

  • Organization Name: International Association Of Chiefs of Police
  • Acronym / Abbreviation: IACP
  • Formed: 1893
  • Website: theiacp.org
  • CEO: Vincent Talucci
  • Corporate Address & Telephone: 44 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria, Virginia / 703-836-676
  • Legal Status: 501(C)(3) non profit
  • Type Organization: Individual Membership
  • Structure: Four Worldwide Regional Offices: Abu, Dhabi, United Arabs Emirates / Seoul, South Korea / Alexandria, Virginia, USA / Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
  • Purpose: Police Advocacy, Research, Outreach, and Education
  • Individual Membership: 33,000 in 170 Countries
  • First President: Webb S. Seavey, Omaha Police Department in 1893
  • First President from Outside the United States: Samuel; J. Dickson from the Toronto Police Department, Canada in 1925

National Association of Police Organizations

In 2015 National Association of Police Organizations led the petition of the US Congress to pass what is now know as the Rafeal Ramos & Wenjliau Liu National Blue Alert Act. Both Ramos and Wenjliau, New York City Police Officers, were ambushed while on duty.

Read More about Public Law 114-12, 114th Congress

Organization Facts:

  • Organization Name: National Association Of Police Organizations
  • Acronym / Abbreviation: NAPO
  • Formed: 1978
  • Website: napo.org
  • CEO: Rodney Bryant
  • Corporate Address & Telephone: 317 S. Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 / Telephone: 800-322-6276
  • Legal Status: 501(C)(4) – The organization must not be organized for profit and must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare.
  • Type Organization: Social Welfare Organization
  • Structure: Police Organizations and Individuals
  • Police Organization Members: Over 1,000
  • Individual Membership: 241,000

National Policing Institute

National Policing Instate has a history of servicing Law Enforcement Training. It also assisted in developing and forming the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement.

From the National Policing Institute 2022 ANNUAL REPORT;

  • In Person Training Sessions > 60
  • Virtual Training Events > 106
  • Technical Training Requests > 191
  • Agencies Services > 2,456
  • Individuals Training > 9,535
  • Resource Downloads > 22,351

Organization Facts:

  • Organization Name:  National Policing Institute
  • Acronym / Abbreviation: NPI
  • Formed: 1970 
  • Website:  policinginstitute.org
  • President: John Burch
  • Corporate Address & Telephone: 2550 S Clark Street, Suite 1130, Arlington, Virginia 22202: 202-833-1460
  • Legal Status: 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit
  • Type Organization: Membership Group
  • Structure: Corporate

National Sheriff’s Association

The National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) is designated as a trade organization which provides, (1) Law Enforcement Technical Assistance to member Sheriff Offices and Departments, (2) Professional Development and Education (3) general Law Enforcement related Seminars and Conferences, and (4) Networking Opportunities. The NAS has over the last 83 years help all 3,000 plus Sheriff’s Offices/Departments to grow into professional organizations that provide ‘state of the art’ Law Enforcement.
  • Organization Name:  National Sheriff’s Association
  • Acronym / Abbreviation: BSA
  • Formed: 1940
  • Website: sheriffs.org 
  • Corporate Address & Telephone: 1450 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia / 800-424-7827
  • Legal Status: 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit
  • Type Organization: TRADE ASSOCIATION
  • Structure: Corporate
  • Membership: Over 25,000 – Elected Sheriffs and General

Police Executive Research Forum

From 1998 to 2017, the Police Executive Research Form has received for Grants, totaling $1,075,000.00, in Grants to to Promote Criminal Justice and Community, Economic Development in the Chicago Police Department as well as enhancing PERFs “Law Enforcement Practices publication.

Awarded:

  • 1998 ( $100,000.00 ) – Expand a PERF Publication on Law Enforcement Practices;
  • 2012 ( $375.000.00 ) – Community, Economic Development > Facilitate the process in which PERF will serve as the lead facilitator to guide a major reorganization of the Chicago Police Department. It will work with the department to engage public, private, and community leaders in defining a new model of policing for Chicago, and to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to guide the reorganization of the department over an 18-month period;
  • 2013 ( $400,000.00 ) Community, Economic Development >  Facilitate a major reform effort in the Chicago Police Department focused on overhauling organizational and administrative procedures, re-instituting community policing, and, more generally, improving police-community relations; and
  • 2017 ( $200,000.00 ) – Community, Economic Development > The grant aimed to deliver training for seventy Chicago Police Department (CPD) command staff to address how to re-establish the legitimacy of the Department in the city’s communities, implement reforms recommended by the Department of Justice, and respond to multiple crises threatening public safety.
  • Organization Name:  Police Executive Research Forum 
  • Acronym / Abbreviation: PERF
  • Formed:  1976
  • Website:   policeforum.org
  • Corporate Address & Telephone: 
  • Legal Status: 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit
  • Type Organization:  Membership
  • Structure: Membership – Centralized – Corporate Headquarters
  • Purpose: Management Services, Technical Assistance & Executive Level Training
  • Membership: Must Possess a Four Year Degree Before Acceptance
  • Publications: 4 – “PERF Report: / “Critical Issues Report” / “PERF Trending” / Podcast – “PERFCAST”