Monthly News From COPS Concerns of Police Survivors

Monthly News From
COPS
Concerns of Police
Survivors, Inc.

July 2005

COPS Training Chapter Reps, Board, and Staff as Victim Advocates
Each summer COPS conducts a training for representatives from the 47 state and regional COPS Chapters in conjunction with the summer Board meeting. This coming weekend, 67 leaders in the COPS organization, along with 3 COPS staff members, will attend “From Peer Support to Victim Services”. Attendees will gain the resources to provide a higher level of peer support and enable them to respond immediately when a law enforcement officer has been gravely injured or killed in the line of duty. With this new knowledge, COPS representatives will be able to respond as victim advocates when the injuries occur. Additionally, personnel trained during the weekend have agreed to make themselves available to provide victim services to any victim at the grass roots level when requested by a law enforcement agency, State’s Attorney’s Office, or victims’ group. The training is an Action Partnership Program of the Office for Victim of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice.

COPS’ Outward Bound Experience Set for August 1-7
Registration for COPS’ 2005 Outward Bound experience for surviving children aged 15-20 is now completely full. The maximum of 25 participants will arrive in Grand Junction, Colorado, and then float the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon in the Canyonlands National Park in Utah. This is the 8^th year COPS has provided this opportunity for surviving young people to bond with others who have experienced the line-of-duty death of a parent while inspiring self-esteem, self-reliance, concern for others, and care for the environment. The only cost to participants is their travel to Colorado. Streamlight, Inc. is again sponsoring two participants by assisting with their travel costs and covering the Outward Bound tuition that COPS pays. Other contributors to this program include The Harold L. Vitale Memorial Fund, the South East Police Motorcycle Rodeo Committee, the Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Riding Committee, and Super Seer Corporation.

COPS’ Summer Camp Set for August 1-7
The registration deadline for COPS’ Summer Camp has also passed, but the COPS office will still accept late registrations through July 15. There are 126 survivors and staff who will participate August 1-7 in East Troy, WI. The surviving parent/guardian must accompany the surviving children ages 6-14. During the week, participants address individual and family grief issues and participate in family interaction and camp activities. Financial support for this program comes from the South East Police Motorcycle Rodeo Committee, the Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Riding Committee, The Galleria Mall in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Northeast Florida COPS, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (TX), Baltimore City Lodge #3 FOP, and the William P. Bosworth Memorial Golf Outing.

Registration Deadline Dates for Other Programs
Survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty are encouraged to attend their specific Retreat:
Siblings Retreat - September 9-12, registration deadline August 9
Fiancees/Significant Others Retreat (first one ever!) - September 16-19, registration deadline July 30
Spouses Weekend - September 23-26, registration deadline August 23
Parents’ Retreat - Sept. 30-Oct .3, registration deadline August 30
Adult Children’s Retreat - October 14-17, registration deadline September 14
In-Law’s Retreat - October 21-24, registration deadline September 21
Registration forms can be found at www.nationalcops.org/forms.htm

COPS Scholarship Recipients Attend ICMA Vantagepoint Award Luncheon
ICMA Retirement Corporation last year committed to support COPS’ Scholarship program with $45,000 over three years. Last fall, 10 of COPS’ scholarship recipients received a $1,500 scholarship that was funded by ICMA’s Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund. Four of the ten recipients were able to attend ICMA’s Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarship Award Luncheon on June 21 in San Mateo, CA. ICMA-RC provided travel and two night’s accommodation. Attending were Megan Bolhouse (Florida), Samantha Mahar (Maine), Francesca Pine (Montana), and Karen Woodrell (Oklahoma). COPS appreciates the support of ICMA-RC and we appreciate these four survivors attending the luncheon to express COPS’ gratitude.

DOJ Medal of Valor Nominations Due by July 31
The US Department of Justice is accepting nominations until July 31 for the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. Public safety officers include those living or deceased, serving or having served in a public agency, with or without compensation. Officers who displayed exceptional acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty between June 1, 2004, and May 31, 2005, may be nominated by the chief or director of their employing agency. For more information and the application form, visit <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor/>.

Personalized Sympathy Cards for Law Enforcement
When a public servant dies in the line of duty, thousands of loyal peers, key administrators, government officials, community and business leaders attend the funeral of our fallen heroes to acknowledge their sacrifice. In addition many more may have wanted to attend the service but could not because of work schedules, distance, and costs that prohibit traveling. Hero to Hero, Inc, offers a "Dual custom sympathy card system" kit with professionally-printed custom sympathy cards with your organizations patch, logo, or photograph. Each kit sold to a law enforcement organization generates a donation to COPS. Visit <http://www.herotohero.com/>.

Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Safety Competition
The 26th Annual Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Safety Competition will be September 17 at Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, Virginia. Proceeds benefit "C.O.P.S. Kids/Teens". For information, visit www.mapmrc.com.

Blue Knights Missouri VI Visit Camdenton
Harleys rolled up to the COPS National Office on June 24 when members of Blue Knights Missouri VI near Rolla, MO, arrived. President Randy Becker presented COPS Executive Director Suzie Sawyer with a check for $1,500, proceeds from their 3^rd Annual Cruise In and Poker Run that was held in April. This group has raised $7,200 for “C.O.P.S. Kids/Teens” in three years.