During this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, there are many needs arising at police agencies around the world. Police foundations are stepping up to help law enforcement in many ways. As police foundations engage with the community to secure funding and provide services that will benefit their departments, foundations act as an important liaison among the community, businesses, and the police agency. Police foundations help departments to achieve their public safety goals and are an avenue to accept both financial and in-kind support from interested donors. Therefore, police foundations are in an ideal spot to provide critical support to a police agency during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police foundations can help their local police agencies
and first responder community by:

• Purchasing protective gear such as infrared thermometers, nitrile gloves, masks, hand sanitizing wipes, and hand sanitizer
• Working to supply departments with hygiene kits, towels, and cell phone chargers for round the clock operations
• Funding professional decontamination of police facilities and equipment
• Providing sanitizer stations for police facilities
• Securing alternative housing for officers who are sick or need to isolate themselves from family members at greater risk of complications if infected with COVID-19
• Securing a COVID-19 testing center for exclusive use by first responders and other essential local employees
• Installing mobile trailers equipped with cameras and license plate readers to address areas with an uptick of crime due to no schools in session Coordinating meal and snack donations and deliveries to first responders
• Providing barbers and shoe shiners safely to ensure officers still can maintain uniform standards during this time
• Helping to promote messaging to the community on behalf of their police agencies and/or local community government, including promoting compliance with public health orders
• Promoting messages of gratitude and support for law enforcement through social media campaigns
• Providing teachers and/or parents with workbooks and coloring pages from officer-friendly programs for home schooling.

For more information on Police Foundations, please visit
these resources:

• IACP Police Foundations Section
• Investing in Community Safety: A Practical Guide to Forming and Sustaining Police Foundations