NBPA


	NBPA

What is the National Black Police Association?

The NATIONAL BLACK POLICE ASSOCIATION is a nationwide organization of African American Police Associations dedicated to the promotion of justice, fairness, and effectiveness in law enforcement. The NBPA has several chartered organizations throughout the United States, and associate members in Canada, Bermuda, and the United Kingdom. The principal concerns of the NBPA center upon law enforcement issues and the effect of those issues upon the total community. The NBPA serves as an advocate for minority police officers and establishes a national network for the training and education of all police officers and others interested in law enforcement.

How did the National Black Police Association begin?

In November 1972, the National Black Police Association was chartered as a not-for-profit corporation in the state of Illinois following a historic meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. There were thirteen African American Peace Associations present at the meeting with representatives from the host city as well as: New York City and Buffalo, New York; Flint and Detroit, Michigan; Richmond, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, California; Cincinnati, Akron, Dayton, and Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New Orleans, Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; Newark, New Jersey; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Louisville, Kentucky; and Denver, Colorado.

What is the purpose of the National Black Police Association?

The National Black Police Association was established:
To improve the relationship between Police Departments as institutions and the minority;
To evaluate the effect of the policies and programs within the Criminal Justice System upon the minority community;
To serve as a mechanism to recruit minority police officers on a national scale;
To work toward police reform in order to eliminate police corruption, police brutality and racial discrimination; and
To educate police officers to perform with professionalism and compassion.

How is the National Black Police Association organized and operated?

The NBPA has established five regions throughout the United States and each of these regions operates and maintains an office. The regions are as follows: Northeast, Eastern, Southern, Midwest and Western. Each region elects a President and appoints an Information Officer. These elected and appointed officers represent all of the Police Associations in their respective regions.

The NBPA is governed by a Board of Directors. The formulation of policy and operations of the NBPA is the sole responsibility of the Board of Directors. The National Officers are elected from members of the Board of Directors. The NBPA maintains and operates a National Office in Washington, D.C. The National Office formulates, coordinates and monitors nationally funded projects and programs. The National Office is the administrative arm of the National Board of Directors and is supervised by an Executive Director.

The NBPA hosts an Annual Education and Training Conference for its members and others interested in law enforcement. The conference is designed to provide workshops, discussion groups, and the dissemination of pertinent information to those who attend. The conference also provides an opportunity to network with fellow officers from across the country.