The National Council of Law Enforcement Organizations announced the collaboration during the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference
CHICAGO, IL - Five leading law enforcement groups announced the formation of the National Council of Law Enforcement Organizations (NCLEO) at a press briefing at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference yesterday.
The NCLEO member organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their commitment to advocate for increasing diversity hiring and promotion of qualified minority and women law enforcement officials. NCLEO will also focus on issues of importance to the law enforcement community and its membership.
The five founding member organizations released the following statements applauding the launch of NCLEO:
“The Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA) was established in 1973 and is the oldest and largest association in the U.S. of Hispanic American command officers from law enforcement agencies across local, state and federal organizations. We are pleased to join together with our sister and brother organizations to ensure equity in the recruitment, training and promotion of diverse candidates in the law enforcement field. By the year 2050, Hispanics will account for 29 percent of the U.S. population, and are currently under represented in many organizations and upper ranks. We hope by uniting with our fellow professional organizations, we can promote the need and benefit of hiring and promoting Hispanics, women and other minorities into the ever-evolving field of law enforcement.”
-Tony Cox, National President, HAPCOA
“The National Asian Peace Officers’ Association (NAPOA) is excited to be a part of this very important collaboration. NAPOA’s members range from special agents of the federal government to correctional custodians of a municipal agency and serve all facets of our criminal justice system. The goal of the coalition, namely to increase workforce diversity and opportunities for minority candidates, is an important priority for our nation’s progress. Drawing talent from a qualified and diverse pool of candidates will ensure that our nation benefits from new and innovative solutions to the complex changes facing the law enforcement community.”
-Rudy Tai, President, NAPOA
“As the largest Latino law enforcement organization in the United States, the National Latino Peace Officers’ Association (NLPOA) is pleased to join NCLEO. As a member of NCLEO, we bring nearly forty years’ experience in promoting equality and professionalism in law enforcement, recruiting qualified Latinos and honoring our communities through service and mentorship. We look forward to working with our law enforcement colleagues to strengthening our profession for the safety of our communities.”
-Edwin Maldonado, National President, NLPOA
“With over 3,500 members, NOBLE values diversity and works to ensure equity in all matters related to law enforcement. We are proud to be a partner of NCLEO and are eager to work with our friends and colleagues within the law enforcement profession. NCLEO will encourage and support minority and women law enforcement professionals in career development and advancement, and promote diversity as a smart policing policy for our communities nationwide.”
-Jiles Ship, National President, NOBLE
“WIFLE is pleased to join our coalition to bring together collective resources to ensure that all groups are represented at the SES levels of government and in the hiring process of all law enforcement agencies. Women account for approximately 15 to 20 percent of federal law enforcement officers. A figure that is well below achieving gender equity in the federal workplace, in an occupation that barred women until 1972. Nationally, police agencies have a representation of approximately 12 percent women and in larger police agencies it is 15 percent. These numbers certainly diminish as you examine the upper ranks. We hope to become a resource for agencies seeking to hire and promote more women in law enforcement and work collaboratively to ensure diversity.”
-Margaret Moore, President, WIFLE Foundation