HAPCOA Presents at PLECET Conference

(Chicago) This year the Professionalizing Law Enforcement Community Engagement Training (PLECET) National Conference was held June 4-8, 2025, in Chicago, IL. This was the third year of the PLECET event and the second year that HAPCOA attends and supports this national training conference as an invited presenter.

PLECET is designed for law enforcement professionals who are involved in community partnerships. This event helps provide attendees with focused training, professional development, and networking opportunities to then guide and optimize their community engagement efforts. This year, PLECET had as one of its keynote presenters, Ms. Xerona Clayton, Human & Civil Rights Icon and former aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

HAPCOA Executive Director Tony Chapa attended again this year and served as a presenter regarding the history, mission, and shared the 50-year story of success that HAPCOA has endured as a professional national law enforcement association.

Executive Director Chapa, this year, focused his presentation on the success of HAPCOA’s international Faith & Blue program. This program, with the help and support of the HAPCOA National Capitol Region Chapter, our HAPCOA DR (Dominican Republic) Chapter, and our HAPCOA National Board have coordinated with Washington DC area churches, the Maryland Office of Secretary of State, and with help from our international law enforcement supporters. This program works with these area churches, and local sources who help to obtain donations of medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, crutches, diapers, beds, walkers, and so much more). Our international supporters (in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and other Latin American locations) help us coordinate the logistics involved with the delivery of containers full of humanitarian equipment and supplies to associated Latin American churches. And with the help from our overseas law enforcement contacts, together we assist with distributing the much-needed medical equipment.