The Official Publication of Concerns of Police Survivors for Survivors, Agencies and Supporters H PESummer 2020 C.O.P.S. Honors Heroes through Virtual Memory Board From the National President On The Cover Dear Survivors, I would be remiss to ignore the topic that has been on all of our minds the past few months. COVID-19 put quite the damper on event plans for National Police Week and Hands-On Pro- grams. More so, several survivors have been affected by current events and far too many officers have lost their lives. We are in un- precedented times, especially in the history of For the first time in history, events of National C.O.P.S. Police Week were held virtually. C.O.P.S. paid tribute to fallen heroes and recognized their survivors through the Virtual Memory Board. As your National President, I was looking forward to meeting all of you in Washington, D.C. I had my speech ready for the Candlelight Vigil and C.O.P.S. National Office I had been training to cross the finish line with my brothers and sisters of Law Enforcement United. Virtual events that were held were incredible, Executive Director Dianne Bernhard but nothing is better than supporting each other in person. Those times Deputy Director Mike Lederle are coming soon! More information about what to expect at National Police Week 2021 will be announced in the next few months. Until then, Services Director Erin Barnett please plan on attending your Hands-On Program or a special event Development Director Lauren Crisman such as COPS Walk in Harpers Ferry (WV) on October 9-11. Survivors and supporters come from all over to not only raise money for C.O.P.S. Administrative Director Lynn Kuse and honor their heroes, but to spend the weekend bonding with others Director of Chapter & Laurie Putnam who have been down a similar path. Survivor Support Communications Sara Slone This magazine is called HOPE because its purpose is to bring you hope. Director Inside this edition, there are articles that discuss how to adapt to differ- National Chapter Barbie Squires ent situations, survivors doing incredible things to help each other, and Liaison testimonies that show just how strong and resilient our blue family is. Accountant Amy Hadfield When this magazine went to print, dates for several Hands-On Pro- Executive Assistant Missy Cottle grams had been rescheduled and the remainder have stayed as sched- Training Manager Kwabena Asante uled. However, please continue to check the National C.O.P.S. website for any updates and changes that may have occurred in recent weeks. Public Relations Katrina Old Manager The C.O.P.S. membership has now reached over 54,000 survivors Programs Manager Shanna Rizer across the nation. My family and I continue to pray for each and every Robby Robinson one of you to find peace, healing, hope, and happiness while you work IT Specialist through your grief. Even in these uncertain and often lonely times, you Development Coordinator Stephani Anderson are not alone. Thank you to all first responders, medical personnel, and Training Coordinator Lacey Crowe everyone working tirelessly to keep us safe. Programs Coordinator Blair Sien We will get through this together! Survivor Specialist Lissa McCabe Multimedia Specialist Tony Williams Chapter Specialist Susie Sapp Receptionist Jessica Myers Merchandise Assistant Kalli LaFrance Emilio J. Miyares C.O.P.S. National President Outreach Consultant Chris Kahmke 2 H PE Summer 2020 VOL. 34, NO. 2 The Official Publication of Concerns of Police Survivors for Survivors,Agencies and Supporters. P.O. Box 3199 - 846 Old South 5 - Camdenton, MO 65020 - Phone: 573-346-4911 - concernsofpolicesurvivors.org In This Issue 2 President’s Message 22 Scholarships 4 Board Member Contacts 23 Survivor Spotlight 5-6 Chapter Contacts 25 Traumas of Law Enforcement 7-9 News of Note 26 National Conference 2020 10-12 Class of 2020 Graduates 27-29 Chapter Chatter 13-14 A Piece of Crazy Strength 30-32 Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation 15 NPW 2020 Virtual Event Recap 33 COVID-19 Impact on Officers 16-17 Adapting to Change 35-38 Special Events/Fundraising 18-19 NYPD Strong - Capra Family 39 General and Chapter Donations 20-21 Hands-On Programs Mission Statement Rebuilding shattered lives of survivors and co-workers affected by line-of-duty death. Survivors can seek comfort from C.O.P.S. while awaiting a decision from the following determining agencies: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) or Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Submission Information Concerns of Police Survivors welcomes the submission of articles, trial updates, survivor news and memorials. Please know that all submissions will be considered, but may not be published. Inclusion of news articles or court documents makes the process much easier for C.O.P.S. When sending photos, please make sure they are high resolution (600KB or higher) or the original files. All submissions can be e-mailed to [email protected] with the subject line “Newsletter Submission.” Information for Our Readers Throughout C.O.P.S. publications, you will find codes that tell how a person is related to an officer who has died in the line of duty. Here is a key for you: W=Spouse; AC=Adult Child; C= Child; S=Sibling; M=Mother; F=Father; CW= Co-Worker; SM= Step-Mother; SF= Step-Father; SC=Step-Child; GM=Grandmother; GF=Grandfather; GC=Grandchild; FS=Former Spouse; FN=Fiancé; SO=Significant Other; F-IL=Father In-Law; M-IL=Mother In-Law; D-IL=Daughter In-Law; SN-IL=Son In-Law; SS-IL=Sister In-Law; B-IL=Brother In-Law; U=Uncle; A=Aunt; NC=Niece; NP=Nephew; CS=Cousin; FR=Friend ©2020 The C.O.P.S. “HOPE” magazine is a publication distributed free to approximately 54,000 readers. All content in each issue of the C.O.P.S. “HOPE” magazine is copyrighted and no part of the publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher or author. The C.O.P.S. “HOPE” magazine is an independent publication which does not represent or receive endorsement from, nor is sponsored by, any law enforcement agency, police organization, or social association. Concerns of Police Survivors National Board Members National President Midwest Region Trustee Northwest Region Trustee Emilio Miyares IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WV AK, ID, OR, MT, WA, WY AC/86 - (305) 761-3722 Nancee Hetrick Joyce Kramer 2431 SW 21 TER CW/05 - (765) 427-4097 M/06 - (406) 855-8223 Miami, FL 33145 2502 Main ST 53 Evergreen DR [email protected] Lafayette, IN 47904 Joliet, MT 59041 [email protected] [email protected] Immediate Past President Cheryl Schultz Central Plains Region Trustee Southwest Region Trustee W/02 - (505) 920-0733 IA, KS, MO, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT & 28A Avenida de Molino Dana Evans Mariana Islands Espanola, NM 87532 AC/86 - (913) 963-5802 Pilar Orellana [email protected] 14665 W 144th TER AC/98 - (951) 532-7962 Olathe, KS 66062 1157 Via Ixtapa [email protected] Corona, CA 92882 Northeast Region Trustee [email protected] CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI,VT Leslyn Burke-Stewart South Central Trustee W/05 - (347) 512-6512 AR, AL, LA, MS, OK, TN Executive Director 126 Nassau ST Mary Carmikle Non-Voting Board Member Elmont, NY 11003 W/08 - (501) 206-8689 Dianne Bernhard [email protected] 2313 Woodland Bluff DR CW/05 - (573) 346-4911 Heber Springs, AR 72543 PO Box 3199 [email protected] Camdenton, MO 65020 Atlantic Region Trustee [email protected] DE, MD, NC, SC, VA, D.C. Hector Dittamo Western Region Trustee F/10 - (703) 491-5585 CO, NM, TX Executive Director Emeritus 2605 Deepford DR Ashlee Hardy-Byers Non-Voting Board Member Woodbridge, VA 22192 W/07 - (214) 202-0809 Suzie Sawyer [email protected] PO Box 55 PO Box 3199 Decatur, TX 76234 Camdenton, MO 65020 [email protected] Southeast Region Trustee FL, GA, Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands Holly Reed W/10 - (352) 210-3481 1066 NE HWY 351 Cross City, FL 32628 [email protected] The C.O.P.S. National Board held their Winter meeting in Pensacola (FL) on January 18 and 19, 2020. You are encouraged to review the updated Standard Operating Procedures at concernsofpo- licesurvivors.org to see the changes discussed. If you have a topic of discussion to submit to the National Board for the meeting to be held on July 23, please email Missy Cottle at missy_cottle@ nationalcops.org. 4 Concerns of Police Survivors Chapters and Contacts To enable the C.O.P.S. organization to provide peer support close to home, 55 C.O.P.S. Chapters are functioning and others are in the process of organizing. Below are state or regional chapters that are here to help you through the difficult times: Alabama C.O.P.S. Delaware C.O.P.S. Iowa C.O.P.S. Cindy Hatcher, President Eleanor Allione, Vice President Toni Galetich-Christofferson, Director [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] (251) 604-0602 (302) 388-2657 (515) 422-6252 www.alabamacops.org www.delawarecops.org www.iowacops.org Alaska C.O.P.S. Florida Kansas C.O.P.S. Laurie Huckeba, Vice President Dustin Dierenfeldt, President [email protected] Central FL C.O.P.S. [email protected] (907) 632-3795 Virginia Ricks, President (816) 518-3041 www.alaskacops.org [email protected] www.kscops.org (850) 445-2589 Arizona C.O.P.S.