The Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc. and the Virginia Division of the Southern States PBA are rallying behind Alexandria Police Officer Peter Laboy who was shot on February 27th after making a routine traffic stop in Alexandria.  The bullet struck Officer Laboy in the head, critically injuring him.  Officer Laboy was flown to Medstar Washington Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Peter Laboy is an Alexandria Police Officer with 17 years of experience and has been a PBA member since November of 2006. Officer Laboy has been on the Alexandria Motor unit for the past 6 years.  The Police Benevolent Foundation has established a fund titled the “Officer Peter Laboy Recovery Fund” to assist the Laboy family during this difficult time. Donations can be made to this fund by clicking the link below.

DONATE NOW!!

You can also help Officer Laboy and his family by texting the phrase COPS LABOY to 85944.  A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill. Msg & data rates may apply. Available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile. Must be 18 or older and have authorization of account holder. Donations benefit The Police Benevolent Foundation, collected by Innogive Foundation. Subject to terms: igfn.org/t. Privacy policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 85944 to stop; Text HELP to 85944 for help. The PBF is asking everyone to please pass this information along to friends and family. Officer Laboy will need all of us to rally behind him during these hard times

According to Sean McGowan, Executive Director of the Virginia PBA, “Our thoughts, prayers, and support go out to Officer Laboy and his family during this difficult time.  This incident reminds us all of the dangers that law enforcement officers face and the community support that is needed for our brave men and women who protect us every day.”

It is with a heavy heart that the PBF and VAPBA ask for the help of the community, both locally and nationally, to aid in its efforts to provide much needed support to this officer in his time of need.  All donations made to the “”Officer Peter Laboy Recovery Fund” are 100% tax deductible and all proceeds go directly to the Laboy family.

The Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization established by the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (SSPBA) in 2005.  Established in 1987, SSPBA has been serving its membership for 20 years. SSPBA is not a union. It is an independent association with no national or international affiliations. The Foundation has a Board of Directors elected by the membership of the SSPBA. Foundation expenses are currently absorbed by Southern States PBA, making the Foundation one of very few such entities that gives 100% of the funds received to its intended purpose.

The Police Benevolent Foundation’s first Behind the Badge Seminar for 2013 was held in Hampton, Virginia on January 25, 2013. The seminar was a great success and a great start for a new year. Sergeant Kristine Wright and staff of the Hampton Police Training Division were able to secure the Sandy Bottom Nature Park Center for our day of training. The police training staff and the staff of Sandy Bottom Nature Park saw that all needs of the eighty-five (85) attendees were met.

The seminar attendance was so good because the Police Training Division required attendance of personnel in special assignments and also sent out invitations to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Attendees, both sworn and unsworn came from the following agencies in Virginia: Hampton Police Department, Chesapeake PD, Virginia Beach PD, Newport News PD.

Jim Sewell, Ph.D. and Tim Rutledge, both former law enforcement officers and experts in the area of police stress and police suicides, provided the lecture for the day. Both provided personal examples of law enforcement personnel that exhibited signs of stress and provided ways to recognize stress and effectively deal with it. Both were given very high remarks during the evaluation process. Additionally, when questioned individually, the majority of officers indicated they wanted to see a peer support group that was not affiliated with their agency.

If you are interested in seeing this free training come to your area, contact Terry Nowell at tnowell@sspba.org or cell 678-333-4150.

Read More at Behind the Badge 

The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association is currently holding two separate raffles for sports memorabilia items to benefit the Police Benevolent Foundation. Founded in 2005, the PBF is a 501 C3, and was created to help families that have lost a loved one in the line of duty along with other initiatives. 100% of the donated monies go to the intended purpose and are tax deductible.

The first item is a framed autographed Tyler Hansbrough jersey and picture. Hansbrough currently plays for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. Hansbrough led the UNC Tarheels to the 2009 National Championship and he is the ACC’s all-time leading scorer. Hansbrough was a unanimous selection for the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference All Conference Team, 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year, and 2008 ACC Player of the Year. In 2008, he won the Wooden Award and was the National Player of the Year. His jersey (number 50) was retired on February 10, 2010 during a Duke-North Carolina rivalry game.

The second item is a framed autographed jersey of Josh Hamilton. The piece also includes two autographed Sports Illustrated covers. Hamilton currently plays for the Los Angles Angels of Anaheim and is a five time MLB All-star. He won the American League MVP in 2010 and is one of only 16 players to ever hit 16 home runs in a game.

Tickets are $5 a piece…or 5 for $20….or 10 for $30. You can enter one or both drawings The drawing is March 9th at 7:30 p.m. You do not have to be present to win. If you would like to purchase tickets please click on the following link. If you are a NCPBA member and would like to help the Foundation by selling tickets please contact NC Division President Randy Byrd @  rbyrd@sspba.org.

Click here to buy raffle tickets

The 2^nd Annual Race for the Fallen Half Marathon to benefit the Police Benevolent Foundation was held on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 at Red Top Mountain State Park. Each year, more than 140 officers leave for work and do not return home to the families who love and support them. The harsh reality is that the men and women of our local police departments who have chosen to accept the honor of protecting our communities often face deadly consequences that leave their families in dire straits. When we lose a member of the police force, we lose an experienced, trained community hero who gave his or her life to protect the community. When we lose an officer – a family loses a husband, a wife, a sister or brother… a child loses a father or a mother. The Race for the Fallen Half Marathon honors these officers and their families.

The 2^nd Annual Race for the Fallen Half Marathon was a huge success. The race had almost 200 participants and raised significant funds to benefit the Police Benevolent Foundation. The Race for the Fallen would like to thank all of its sponsors and volunteers. The Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc. exists to help the law enforcement officers and their families restore normalcy after a tragedy. The Race for the Fallen Half Marathon was created to honor the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to protect our families, and it is a tribute to the officers who gave their lives to protect our community.

The Race for the Fallen and the Police Benevolent Foundation would like to congratulate all of the runners that participated. The first place overall winner was Alec Blenis, age 18. He finished in 1:24:45 and had a pace of 6:28 per mile. All race results can be found at www.zuluracing.com. You can view photos from the race by going to www.truespeedphoto.com and searching for Race for the Fallen.

The date has already been set for next year’s Race for the Fallen Half Marathon. It will take place on Saturday September 21, 2013 at Red Top Mountain State Park and you can register now at www.raceforthefallen.com. Be sure to take advantage of the lowest registration price, $45 until March 1^st.

Read on Yahoo News

In case you have been hiding under a rock and haven’t heard yet, the Police Benevolent Foundation is sponsoring suicide prevention seminars titled Behind the Badge. These seminars are approximately eight hours in length and cover numerous topics related to law enforcement stressors, stress management and suicide prevention.

In September 2012, the Arkansas PBA hosted our Behind the Badge Seminar in two locations. Our speakers have long and distinguished careers in law enforcement. Doctor James D. Sewell started his career as a campus police officer at Florida State University. He has been a Chief of Police in Florida and the Assistant Director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Tim Rutledge also started his career in local law enforcement and is now the Director of Training for the Regional Counter-drug Training Academy (RCTA) in Meridian, Mississippi. Tim is also the founder and director of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support (LEAPS).

On Monday, September, 10, law enforcement officers from Sherwood PD, Benton County SO, Fayetteville PD, and Arkansas State Patrol attended the seminar held at the North Western Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Elm Springs, and on September 11, fifteen officers representing five different departments attended the seminar held at the Conway Police Department. Some of the topics attendees were exposed to include: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), how to recognize and deal with stress and how to talk with a fellow officer who is possibly suicidal. Attendees were also able to evaluate their personal and professional life and determine their risk of being a victim of significant stress. Officers were able to talk about PTSD and suicides that they were familiar with.

We thank the administration and training staff and administration of North Western Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Conway Police Department for their generous donation of their facilities and their support of the Arkansas law enforcement community.

Come show your support for local law enforcement officers by participating in the first annual Folks and Spokes Charity Bike Ride. This is a collaborative event organized by the Virginia PBA and the Backyard Grill Restaurant.

Date: Saturday 10/20/2012
Departure time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
Ride will take about 1.5 to 2 hours long
Food and drink will be available at the after party
Riders – $25
All others- $20
Immediately following the ride, participants and spectators are invited to attend an after party at the Backyard Grill Restaurant. The after includes a buffet and 2 free drinks.

13999 Metrotech Drive
Chantilly, VA 20151
Phone: (703) 802-6400.

Registrations can also be mailed to:

The Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc
2155 Highway 42 South
McDonough, GA 30252

Must be mailed by October 5, 2012

The Arkansas Division of the Southern States PBA, Inc. and the Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc. have partnered with In Harm’s Way and the Mississippi L.E.A.P.S. programs to educate law enforcement administrators, law enforcement officers and their family members about the hidden dangers of PTSD and its connection to the high rate of law enforcement suicide.

By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News
Published April 19, 2012

In William Wright’s world, everything had a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

He had aspirations and dreams. He wanted to marry his sweetheart. He wanted to be a father. He wanted a career in tactical law enforcement. He wanted to build and operate a successful farm.

But his family says everything took a back seat unless he felt led by his Lord. “He was waiting for the Lord to tell him it was time to do these things,” his sister, Mary Ann Cramp, said.

So he tried to live a righteous life, his father says, caring for family and friends, planning an August wedding, and doting on two nieces who loved him dearly.

And when he died April 11 at age 31, just two days after suffering a head injury in a fall at work at the Mountain View Correctional Institution, he left a gap that will be hard to fill.

But if he could speak now, by all appearances he would say: “Everything has a season.”

Mary Ann says William grew into adulthood feeling people had to “pay back” to the community in return for the joy of living in such a wonderful world. “The Lord came first, then family, then work.”

“He was a fantastic boy,” said his father, Archie Lee Wright, as he sat talking at his kitchen table Wednesday night in the Jack’s Creek community.

William helped care for his grandparents and helped his father, a Vietnam War Marine veteran who has suffered strokes and sometimes uses a motorized scooter to get around. “He helped me and his mom; all he did was go to work and go to church and help around here.”

He was a shy man but good looking, and his sister laughed when asked if girls asked about her brother. “Oh, yes,” she replied, but William said the Lord would tell him when it was right.

“He believed in old-style courtship.”

He had known Kelly Renee Peterson for years and considered her a close friend, but she is the one who had to be bold and actually suggest that a romance was building between the two.

“I was working with him and he took me home one night. We were laughing and having a good time,” she recalls. “Right in the middle of it I grabbed him and leaned up and kissed him.”

William took her on home and came back to talk with his sister. He was interested in Kelly, he told her, but he needed to pray to know the right thing to do.

“Do you feel this is right?” Mary Ann remembers asking him. “Do you feel the Lord is leading you to this?”

“Yes,” he said with conviction.

Kelly remembers how shy and reserved he was. “He once said, ‘I always wanted to hold hands with somebody I loved,’ “she said Wednesday. “I just reached over and held his hand.”

They dated, and made plans to marry. But nothing was rushed. Their dates were mostly hanging out together while doing other things, though William and Kelly made special time for walks out around his parents’ home. They planned on children, but “he wanted the timing perfect. He said it had to go in order,” his sister said.

Meanwhile, he doted on Lee Ann, 10, and Sarah Elizabeth, 6. He loved being an uncle – they called him Nuckle – and Lee Ann enjoyed sitting with him watching movies. “We’d watch movies and he’d make me popcorn and get me a cold drink,” Lee Ann remembers.

Sarah Elizabeth – “She’s named Elizabeth because Nuckle wanted that,” her mom added – said he would sneak her treats “like chocolates filled with caramel and barbecue chips.”

“He wouldn’t leave the hospital when these kids were born,” Mary Ann said. “He adored them.”

And he was loved by family, friends and neighbors.

“He was a unique, special, rare individual,” his father said. “You don’t see people like that much anymore.”

His mother, Erlene Wright, seemed hard pressed to speak much, so soon after his death. She told a story about how he was “a fireball” as a little boy, but he responded to firm love and never forgot the importance of that love. “He was a special son,” she said.

After his fall at the prison William was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Spruce Pine, where he was admitted. He had a CAT scan, his sister says, and was admitted for observation, but everything seemed fine.

Discharged the next day, he went home and seemed OK, his father said. Then something happened. He got up, walked out of the room, and died. He was buried – with his Bible – on Saturday.

“Right now we don’t know what happened,” Archie Wright said. “We don’t want to dwell on why.”