The Arizona Police Association (APA) is “an association of associations.” The APA is not “an employment organization, nor is it a “Fraternal Organization.” These points are important as they help to define what the purpose of the APA is and what it is not. To be more precise, the APA is what is commonly referred to as a “Trade” or “Professional” organization. As such, the APA represents a group of like-minded individual and autonomous law enforcement employee groups. These individual employee groups, who may or may not be officially sanctioned to do so, have the primary responsibility of representing their individual members on issues relating to wages, discipline, working conditions, benefits, employee rights and other similar issues that are commonly involved in the employee / employer relationship.

Through the combined effort and strengths of our member organizations, the APA is able to provide, at a very low cost, one large, amplified, law enforcement “voice” within our community. The main function of this “voice” is to effectively communicate with and lobby the state legislature, our federal representatives, and when needed, local city and town councils, board of supervisors and individual employers. This communication and lobbying is focused upon the issues affecting the working law enforcement officer, whether these issues concern retirement benefits, adequate pay, adequate equipment, due process rights, effective law enforcement legislation, or the ability of law enforcement officers to be treated fairly. Additionally, when circumstances warrant it, the APA will utilize its “voice” to publicly address issues that are of concern to our individual member groups or the organization as a whole. Publicly addressing these issues can come in the form of joint press conferences, press releases, public appearances and public education through our Website at www.azpolice.org.

Finally, the APA recognizes that the employer of the individual officer member is responsible for providing each officer with adequate scope-of-employment legal protection and representation. In those instances when the employer refuses to provide adequate legal scope-of-employment representation, the APA is committed to maintaining an optional low-cost legal safety net. This scope-of-employment safety net, combined with the equally low-cost, broad-spectrum legal services provided by the law firm of Michael Napier P.C., one of the most experienced police labor law attorneys in the state of Arizona, will insure that none of our members will ever find themselves defenseless when they need assistance the most. We are an organization of local law enforcement officers helping local law enforcement officers.