NCJ Number
189302
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2001 Pages: 40-42
Date Published
July 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses a Federal program that provides emotional support to the survivors of persons killed in the line of law enforcement duty.
Abstract
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) was officially organized on May 14, 1984, to help surviving families cope with the trauma of line-of-duty death. The COPS program receives a yearly grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. Among the programs and services offered by COPS are: (1) National Police Survivors' Seminars, 2-day sessions with some of the best grief and bereavement counselors in the country; (2) COPS Kids/Teens, including counseling sessions, financial reimbursement, and special summer camps; (3) Parents' Retreat, to enhance camaraderie and peer support; (4) Spouses' Weekend Getaway, to provide peer support and increase self confidence; (5) Siblings' Retreat, including small-group sessions and group activities with mental health professionals; (6) Adult Children Retreat for surviving adult children aged 21 and older, similar to parents' and siblings' retreats; (7) scholarships, for surviving spouses and children under age 30; and (8) newsletters, information bulletins, and assistance in writing victim-impact statements. COPS also provides training for law enforcement agencies in dealing with the trauma of a line-of-duty death within their organization.