HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL ASIAN PEACE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION

The National Asian Peace Officers’ Association (NAPOA) was established in San Francisco, California to further the goal of self-empowerment on a national scale, create networking opportunities and foster relationships of goodwill with all Asian Pacific American law enforcement officers throughout the United States. The visionary founders; Sheriff Harry Lee, Jefferson Parrish Louisiana, Detective Paul Chu, New York Police Department, Detective Eugene Lee, New York Police Department, Police Officer Arnold Lui, Berkeley Police Department, Deputy District Attorney Byron Wong, San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Senior Police Officer Randal Quan, Los Angeles Police Department and Senior Police Officer Ben Lee, Los Angeles Police Department, collaborated for 8 months to establish a national Asian Pacific American law enforcement association. At the San Francisco, July 1980, inaugural NAPOA conference, the Asian Jade Society of the New York Police Department, California Asian Peace Officers Association and Northern California Asian Peace Officers Association became charter members of the National Asian Peace Officers’ Association.

The NAPOA actively reached out to establish partnerships with our Asian Pacific American communities to address issues and concerns. This collaboration has resulted in a substantial growth of Asian Pacific Americans officers in the roosters of municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement, not only in the rank and file, but also in management positions. The NAPOA continues to promote the interests of Asian Pacific Americans law enforcement officers on a variety of fronts including political action, career development, mentoring, providing expert professional training, continual education seminars and Asian Pacific cultural awareness programs.

The goals of the NAPOA includes, but not limited to: promoting equal opportunity in recruitment, retention, career development, career advancement, as well as preserving and protecting the rights and opportunities of Asian Pacific Americans officers in their respective agencies.

The annual national training conference provides a forum for our membership from this great nation and overseas law enforcement attendees to facilitate the exchange of ideas, philosophies, procedures, policies, tactics and strategies to enhance the delivery of quality police service. The NAPOA continues honing the annual national training conference materials to ensure the success of the attendees. The training benefits are mutual for the membership, agencies represented and the communities they protect and serve.

The NAPOA is actively collaborating with business and non-profit community organizations providing crime prevention education, personal safety, community-police relations, mentoring at risk youths, building community partnerships based on trust and respect.

Additionally, the NAPOA is fostering partnerships with our overseas colleagues, by sharing innovative tactics and techniques developed by American law enforcement. Also, The NAPOA is an active participant in the National Alliance of Minority Police Association, which meets regularly to discuss issues that effect all of our communities and develop viable solutions.

The NAPOA is taking an active role in assisting the Asian Pacific American community members assimilate into American society as equal partners, which means being a productive participant and having an influential voice. Asian Pacific American law enforcement officers continue to be the most trusted and visible government official in these communities and are uniquely suited to assume this role.

Founding Fathers
Sheriff Harry Lee
Detective Paul Chu
Senior Police Officer Ben Lee
Detective Eugene Lee
Police Officer Arnold Lui
Senior Police Officer Randal Quan
Deputy District Attorney Bryon Wong

Charter Associations
Asian Jade Society – New York Police Department
California Asian Peace Officers Association
Northern CaliforniaAsian Peace Officers Association