At an Austin City Council meeting on June 11th, 2009, Councilwoman Laura Morrison issued official proclamations to nine Austin-area School Resource Officers commending them for their work with area middle schools through the American Association of Police Officer’s Junior Police Academy program.

The proclamation stated, “For fifteen years [the Junior Police Academy], which originated in Austin and has spread nation-wide, has helped middle school students become partners in building safe schools. The program allows students to develop trust, and to see their school resource officer as a mentor and friend - plus they learn that their conduct now can affect their career choices later in life. This certificate is presented in recognition of the officers’ fine work on behalf of safer schools and brighter futures for AISD middle school students.”

Morrison added, “The Junior Police Academy… is designed to motivate young people to be outstanding citizens through law enforcement education. And it’s also a case where our officers, instead of just being police, become mentors and friends to the students, encouraging our young citizens to be partners - not adversaries - in building safer schools.”

Among those honored were school resource officers Kimberly Pierce, Stephanie Thompson, Michelle Stoval, Andrew Stivos, Steven MacClarity, Patricia Montemayor, Eric Mendes, and Lt. Silas Greggs - as well as Patrick Fuller, Chief of the Austin Integrated School District Police Department.

The proclamation marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Junior Police Academy, which began in Austin, Texas in 1994, and has since become an integral part of the curriculum in middle schools throughout the nation.

For more information on the Junior Police Academy, please visit their website at www.juniorpoliceacademy.org.

The Junior Police Academy is a program of the American Association of Police Officers. For more about AAPO, please visit www.americanassociationofpoliceofficers.org.

Chaplain David J. Fair, president of the American Association of Police Officers, has been asked to serve on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Certified Chaplains, an arm of the American College of Forensic Examiners, and a sister organization to the American Board of Certification in Homeland Security.

Extended to only a handful of chaplains nationwide, the honor marks Fair as one of the country’s pre-eminent Police Chaplains.

In addition to his duties with the Academy of Certified Chaplains, Chaplain Fair will continue as president of the American Association of Police Officers, a position he has held for over two years.

“We are incredibly proud of Dave, and we’re honored and humbled to have someone of his talent and leadership continue as president of our organization,” said AAPO Executive Director Phil LeConte.

The American Association of Police Officers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to enhancing public safety by bringing the wisdom of America’s law enforcement veterans to the next generation of Americans. For 20 years, AAPO has built its reputation by preserving the wisdom of veteran law enforcers — both active-duty and retired – with the ultimate purpose of preserving life and liberty. AAPO was established by a group of law enforcement professionals who wanted to create educational programs for both police officers and citizens.

For more information about the American Association of Police Officers, please visit their website at www.americanassociationofpoliceofficers.org.

Curt Schwake, a member of the American Association of Police Officers’ Advisory Council, will present a legal seminar on chaplain confidentiality during the International Conference of Police Chaplains Region 7 Training Seminar, to be held March 24-28 in Wichita Falls, Texas.

According to Chaplain Dave Fair, president of the American Association of Police Officers, “The legal aspects of chaplain/survivor confidentiality present a surprisingly complex issue, a complexity compounded by the fact that confidentiality laws are continually in flux. I think it’s vitally important for every chaplain to remain abreast of these issues. We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Curt’s expertise and experience to help us do just that,”

Schwake’s presentation, a post-conference seminar geared towards both Texas Department of Public Chaplains, as well as interested ICPC Chaplains, will be held Thursday afternoon, March 26th.

For more information on the conference click on: www.icpcregion7.com

Previously, Curt Schwake served the State of Texas as Assistant Attorney General. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1982 and flew as a Radar Navigator / Bombardier on the B-52 Stratofortress, leaving active duty in 1992 to enter law school. He presently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel on the Tenth Air Force General Staff. Curt fought in Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Curt is a partner in Schwake Zielinski, LLP, a law practice based in Austin, Texas, which focuses on general business law, business litigation, nonprofit law, and estate planning. Curt received his Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School and brings years of experience as general counsel and advisor to various governing boards on all aspects of business and nonprofit law. He has represented Fortune 50 clients such as GE and Kelly Moore Paint Co.

The American Association of Police Officers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to enhancing public safety by bringing the wisdom of America’s law enforcement veterans to the next generation of Americans. For 20 years, AAPO has built its reputation by preserving the wisdom of veteran law enforcers — both active-duty and retired – with the ultimate purpose of preserving life and liberty. AAPO was established by a group of law enforcement professionals who wanted to create educational programs for both police officers and citizens.


For more information about the American Association of Police Officers, please visit their website at www.AmericanAssociationOfPoliceOfficers.org.

Yesterday, the American Association of Police Officers officially rolled out its new program Officer Down Crisis Response, or ODCR. The program, which will be administered by the Police Protective Fund, is comprised of a suite of resources designed to assist law-enforcement departments in preparing for and dealing with a line-of-duty death crisis.

Among the resources offered by ODCR are the “Police Chaplains Project” (dedicated to sharing the wisdom of senior police chaplains with the public safety community), the “Survivors Network” (a private corner of the internet that provides words of support and hope for survivors immediately following a line-of-duty death), and “Planning for the Unthinkable”, which assists police administrators in preparing a comprehensive and up-to-date line-of-duty death protocol.

Phil LeConte, Executive Director of AAPO, explains, “The death of a public safety officer places extraordinary demands on a department - demands largely outside the “core-proficiencies” of most law enforcement professionals. Assisting agencies in preparing for and responding to these exceptional circumstances is what Officer Down Crisis Response is all about.”

ODCR is available free of charge to all law-enforcement departments. For more information on ODCR, please visit www.officerdowncrisisresponse.squarespace.com.

The American Association of Police Officers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to enhancing public safety by bringing the wisdom of America’s law enforcement veterans to the next generation of Americans. For 20 years, AAPO has built its reputation by preserving the wisdom of veteran law enforcers — both active-duty and retired – with the ultimate purpose of preserving life and liberty. AAPO was established by a group of law enforcement professionals who wanted to create educational programs for both police officers and citizens.

For more information about the American Association of Police Officers and its related programs, please visit their website at www.americanassociationofpoliceofficers.org.

In its continued effort to support the development of chaplaincy programs in the nation’s law enforcement departments, the American Association of Police Officers announced today its new PoliceUSA/ICPC Chaplain Education Scholarship.

The scholarship is designed to help chaplains from under-funded departments attend International Conference of Police Chaplains Training Seminars throughout the country. AAPO will award $250 to help chaplains attend training seminars in each of the ICPC’s ten regions, as well as one $500 award to help a chaplain attend the national ICPC conference.

AAPO President and former ICPC Board Member Chaplain David Fair stated, “AAPO has been a supporter of the ICPC educational effort by sponsoring several Chaplains to conferences, furnishing speakers, and helping with sponsorships, We are pleased to be able to help several Chaplains attend these training conferences. By doing this we are helping law enforcement officers nationwide, because these Chaplains serve the men and women in law enforcement”.

For more information about the PoliceUSA/ICPC Chaplain Education Scholarship, including how to apply, click here.

The American Association of Police Officers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to enhancing public safety by bringing the wisdom of America’s law enforcement veterans to the next generation of Americans. For 20 years, AAPO has built its reputation by preserving the wisdom of veteran law enforcers — both active-duty and retired – with the ultimate purpose of preserving life and liberty. AAPO was established by a group of law enforcement professionals who wanted to create educational programs for both police officers and citizens.

For more information about the American Association of Police Officers and its related programs, please visit their website at www.americanassociationofpoliceofficers.org.