Arizona Chiefs Of Police

Arizona Chiefs Of Police, officially registered as the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police (AACOP), is a corporate non-profit organization headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, that administers law enforcement accreditation and professional development programs for law enforcement agencies across the state. Since its inception in 2018, AACOP has successfully operated the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP), which provides Arizona law enforcement agencies with a cost-effective, locally governed pathway to professional accreditation. The organization has evolved into a significant administrative entity managing federal grant funding to expand accreditation services and enhance law enforcement professional standards throughout Arizona's diverse law enforcement community, including support for small, rural, tribal, and sheriff's agencies that historically faced barriers to participation.

Arizona Chiefs Of Police has consistently received federal grant awards through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program to expand and strengthen its accreditation program delivery. The organization's federal grant work has included establishing dedicated accreditation specialist and support coordinator positions to provide technical assistance to participating agencies; developing and implementing the ALEAP Microgrant program to offset critical accreditation costs for up to 20 small and rural agencies; creating specialized second-tier accreditation standards tailored for sheriff's departments with unique operational needs such as jail operations and court security; and designing a tribal agency accreditation pilot program targeting the 18 tribal law enforcement agencies operating under Bureau of Indian Affairs 638 contracts across Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes. Additional grant-funded initiatives have included technology support services such as PowerDMS accreditation management software fee coverage, comprehensive policy manual development, an accreditation intervention team to assist struggling agencies, statewide training delivery on critical topics including use of force, cultural competency, and leadership development, and robust outreach and marketing programs featuring regional workshops, mentorship networks, and branded communications materials. Arizona Chiefs Of Police has secured multiple cooperative agreements and project grants totaling nearly $300,000 since 2021, demonstrating its role as a prime grant recipient directly implementing federal law enforcement improvement initiatives across Arizona.