Since 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has worked endlessly to honor the sacrifices of the nation’s officers through the memorial wall in Washington, D.C., and its annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall. Through the years, its mission has expanded to include the National Law Enforcement Museum, opened in October 2018, and its Officer Safety and Wellness section. To promote its programs, the NLEOMF launched its Ambassador program in 2022.
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Troy Anderson, Executive Director, Officer Safety and Wellness for the NLEOMF, spoke to OFFICER Magazine about the Ambassador Program and how the organization hopes it will ultimately become an integral part of what it does to honor and support officers.
Increasing awareness
According to Anderson, the Ambassador Program did exist at the NLEOMF in the past, but had a different mission than it does now. “We really look at it as being an extension of the Memorial itself as opposed to its more philanthropic roots. It was really solely looking at things like fundraising and that sort of thing, which is folded in a bit into the current ambassador program, but we are now really looking at the three pillars of our organization,” he says. “So, we're looking at the Memorial, we look at the Museum and we look at Officer Safety and Wellness. Within each of those pillars, we look at what we’re doing and how can the Ambassadors interface with us.”
In order to make the program inclusive, the NLEOMF considers sworn, active or retired law enforcement officers and dispatchers from all around the nation that represent every type of law enforcement including military police, federal, state, municipal, local, city sheriff's corrections, campus, and tribal agencies for the application process. The vetted and selected volunteers are trained and credentialed as Ambassadors by the NLEOMF to help bring crucial information to law enforcement agencies across the country. This includes findings and data from Destination Zero, SAFLEO (Suicide Awareness For Law Enforcement Officers) and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). They are encouraged to share this information through presentations, training opportunities and roll-call briefings.
“We wanted everybody to have an opportunity to be a part of this program because it's very exciting,” says Anderson. “We look at the information exchange and that's really what this is. These liaisons are extensions of our organization. When most people think about the Memorial, I think they think historically about the physical plant itself. The names on the memorial, the beautiful walls, the lions. But what a lot of folks don't really necessarily attach to the Memorial is our proprietary database of not just fallen officers, but what has killed these officers. We really look at that and that's kind of where a lot of our programming comes from in Officer Safety and Wellness. We look at these emerging trends and what can we do.”
Anderson believes that by having Ambassadors available to make resources available to law enforcement agencies, those efforts in the end can help save time, money and lives. “That was the real impetus behind us getting this program together,” he says. “For example, if a smaller agency who is represented by an Ambassador is thinking about starting a peer support program, there are many peer support programs through Destination Zero that have already been vetted and in many cases have been awarded for being outstanding. This gives us an opportunity to fill that gap in very quickly. What I think a lot of law enforcement organizations do is they try to reinvent the wheel every time. They're looking at a problem, and instead of recognizing that there are solutions that are currently existing, they will now begin this process of looking at best practices. It's already been done, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Take a look at what we've done and that's what our Ambassadors are aware of.”
Not only do the Ambassadors act as liaisons for the NLEOMF, but they are also invited to events throughout the year and are recognized at a dinner during National Police Week. “I've had ambassadors volunteer in a number of different capacities. I think about National Police Week. Many of them are honor guards. They'll come and assist at the Candlelight Vigil. We have an Ambassador reception for our ambassadors every year when we honor their contributions and all the great work that they're doing for us.”
Growing the program
At the time of the interview, there were 50 Ambassadors spread throughout the country, but Anderson believes that number will only continue to grow. “The feedback from the Ambassadors and their organizations has been overwhelmingly positive. So, it's a real win-win. For us to have them in the field and for them to have that relationship with us. I know that there have been times where an Ambassador will learn about a line of duty death in their area and have made themselves available as that liaison to help intake that information and navigate the path to make sure that at least from the memorial standpoint that the name is submitted and that we begin the process.
Anderson says the NLEOMF is still building out the program and hopes to eventually have Ambassadors in every state. “It’s just the natural process. It's gaining traction and people are learning about it. The more that they learn about it, they get involved and they share that with other folks who are now surfacing and coming forward and saying we want to be a part of this too.”
For the law enforcement agencies themselves, he says that it's mutually beneficial to have Ambassadors present. Even if you are senior executive command staff. If you're a chief, a colonel or a sheriff, I would want to have folks in my agency having that relationship because not only are you getting that information, it’s a constant resource for you. I would encourage anybody who is considering either being an Ambassador or maybe you're a chief administrator and you want to send some of your folks in our direction. We'd be happy to talk to them. You can go on the website. There's an abundance of information on there, and if that's not enough, send us an e-mail, pick up the phone. My team and myself, we're a resource to you. We'll be happy to help. We're doing a lot of good work and when I say we, I mean not only our Officer, Safety and Wellness team, but the Ambassador Program as a whole.” Ultimately, Anderson says the NLEOMF is focused of making law enforcement officers across the nation safer.
“I think folks are becoming aware of what we do in Officer Safety and Wellness, and there's a lot happening in that area as far as our NHTSA work, our SAFE LEO work and Destination Zero. The Ambassador Program is gaining momentum and folks are really looking to us now,” he says. “We don't want to see barriers or obstacles since law enforcement officers already are surrounded by enough of them,” he says. “We are looking at knocking down those barriers, knocking down the obstacles in order to make it safer for those who are currently serving and certainly keeping their names off the memorial wall.”
Paul Peluso | Editor
Paul Peluso is the Managing Editor of OFFICER Magazine and has been with the Officer Media Group since 2006. He began as an Associate Editor, writing and editing content for Officer.com. Previously, Paul worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD.
