It was 1992 and the City of Milwaukee found itself in the midst of upheaval. A serial killer was in custody and the community and politicians were looking to place blame. Rather than fault the person who committed these insidious crimes that took the lives of many human beings, the weak kneed rubbery spined politicians and certain community leaders found scapegoats, Police Officers. The stage for a five year administrative, legal and political battle between the union for the Police Officers (the Milwaukee Police Association), and the Mayor's Office, Common Council and the Board of Fire and Police Commission, was set.
The civil rights of the Police Officers were trampled upon and due process was only afforded to the politically correct and the suspect who killed so many. As the lynch mob mentality marched at hearing after hearing it became apparent that some of the persons fueling the controversy were funded through outside sources, given their time commitment to thwart justice. Substantial inquiry was made, into the identity of the persons agitating for the discharge of the Police Officers and their funding sources. What we found was enlightening to say the least.
A NUMBER OF THE AGITATORS BY NIGHT WERE LEADERS OF NONPROFIT SOCIAL AGENCIES BY DAY.
Each and every calendar year the City of Milwaukee, in conjunction with the United Way of Greater Milwaukee, puts on an annual drive to solicit funds for nonprofit charitable organizations. Supervisory personnel trained by United Way agents solicited each department in City Government, including the Milwaukee Police Department. Needless to say, the Police Officers were rather substantial contributors to this annual drive. Some of the contributions made by Police Officers were being distributed to the same nonprofit social agencies calling for the discharge of the Police Officers. It also became clear the Milwaukee Police Association could not, under traditional means, engage in retaliatory civil action on behalf of the Police Officers for violations of their individual Constitutional Rights or undertake efforts to have 501(c)(3) status revoked for functioning outside their respective charter.
As the dust was settling and the legal battles were winding down, legal battles which resulted in the reinstatement of the discharged Police Officers, Messrs William Ward, Patrick Doyle and Bradley DeBraska collaborated to ascertain a prospectus of the future of policing and the effect on Police Officers' Constitutional Rights. The idea of creating a nonprofit charitable 501(c)(3) organization was created.
With the assistance of Attorney John Fuchs the original application to the Internal Revenue Service was filed on June 15, 1993. The IRS granted temporary status for the Police Officer Defense FundTM and permanent 501(c)(3) status was granted on May 1, 1996.
Law Enforcement now and since May 1, 1996 has a charity geared primarily towards issues surrounding the Police Family focused on constitutional issues for persons wearing a badge.