The Miami-Dade Police Department awards Police Officer Devon G. Dolam from the Miami-Dade Police Department for the Miami-Dade County Chiefs of Police Association Officer of the Month award for September. Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities presented a check for $500 dollars to the officer of the month, for his outstanding work and dedication.
Each month Erik Agazim LE Charities donates $500 to the Officer of the Month and an additional $1000 to the Officer of the Year. The organization would like to thank Officer Devon Dolam for his courage and commitment to his department and community.
Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities Sends Coffee and Donuts to Local Police Department for National Coffee With a Cop Day
To Celebrate National Coffee With A Cop Day, Erik Agazim LE Charities had coffee and donuts delivered to the Virginia Gardens Police Department to help them celebrate National Coffee with a Cop Day!
National Coffee With A Cop Day was established by the Hawthorne Police Department in California in 2011 and in 2016 the first National Coffee With A Cop Day was held across the country. Their reasoning for starting this observance was to facilitate more interaction with their local community. As a result, they established events to do just that. This observance encourages communities to sponsor events that will bring citizens and police officers together in a time when communication could prove invaluable.
Erik Agazim understands the importance of an open dialogue between the local community and law enforcement agencies, and as such decided to cover the cost of coffee for all the police officers at X Police Department.
“We’re excited to show our support of local police departments in various ways, and this was a fun way to play our part in helping police departments engage with their local communities.”
Dozens of cups of coffee were poured thanks to the generosity of Erik Agazim LE Charities, a non-profit that consistently provides support to countless law enforcement initiatives.
Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities is a non-profit organization that underwrites the cost of training and equipment for police recruits, provides grants to agencies for equipment and gear, and funds initiatives that help the families of fallen officers.
World Mental Health Day is October 10th, and as a law enforcement charity that supports agencies, officers and their families, we know first hand the mental toll that this job has. We believe it is our job to provide understanding to our community regarding the struggles that officers face, including emphasizing the importance of mental health in this industry.
Suicide Among Police Officers is Extremely Prevalent
Almost 1 in 4 officers has contemplated suicide at some point in their lifetime and twice as many officers die from suicide than by homicide. Unfortunately, “chock it up to the job” is a term we hear all too frequently and which pervasively dismisses their struggles. For society to not validate first responders who face mental health challenges is only doing our country a disservice. Ironically, officers are trained to identify and communicate with people who have mental illnesses but aren’t given the same training or attention to identify their mental health challenges.
Mindfulness Practice Might Help Officers Cope with Mental Health Issues
Police officers are consistently burdened with work-related stressors that occur throughout their work days. They are bombarded with direct and vicarious trauma that can show itself in depression and interpersonal problems. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Psychotherapy, mindfulness-based interventions were shown to directly promote the mental and physical health of first responders while providing increased ability to face high stress situations.
A recent report in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry reveals that there are unique challenges and gaps in the research regarding why female first responders present with different PTSD symptoms than men. The researchers concluded that assessment strategies and treatment options should be tailored for individuals who are dealing with mental health issues stemming from occupation-specific-traumatic-stress exposure. In other words, programs designed to help everyone with mental health issues, don’t necessarily translate effectively for the type of mental health issues that affect the law enforcement population.
When Harvard says there isn’t enough research surrounding a topic, that’s not a good sign, folks.
One way to help officers cope with the trauma of the job is to educate or help them through a mindfulness practice program. Mindfulness is a practice meant to facilitate relaxation in the body and the calming and centering of the mind by focusing on the present. The more you are aware of your present, the more you can control your anxiety. The program developed by Harvard was proven effective in reducing stress, improving quality of life, and increasing self-compassion in first responders.
Some other resources available for police officers battling mental health issues include: Safe Call Now is a CONFIDENTIAL, 24-hour crisis referral service for all public safety employees, all emergency services personnel and their family members.
The National Police Suicide Foundation provides support services that meet the psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of law enforcement, on every level.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a national non-profit that provides FREE group therapy with trained counselors as well as other extremely helpful support for those suffering from mental health or strain.
EALE Charities in partnership with the Police Officer Assistance Trust provides assistance to distressed officers and their family members. We believe this includes not only physical health, but mental health as well!
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month we wanted to highlight the ripple effects that domestic violence has at the community level, particularly, how it effects police officers who respond to those types of situations. This is not to draw attention away from the victims, but to help amplify the case for us as a society to simply put…do better. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of violent crime in the U.S and 19% of those situations involve a weapon of some sort.
Statistics Show That Officers Get Injured More Often During A Domestic Violence Call
Statistically speaking, when an officer responds to a domestic violence call, the odds of them getting hurt or killed are higher than in most other situations. In 2017, more officers were shot responding to a domestic violence call, than any other type of firearm fatality.
One study from the Dolan Consulting Group took data from FBI statistics between 1980 and 2006. They found that 113,236 officer assaults occurred in the U.S. and 160 officers died when responding to calls regarding a domestic violence altercation.
The Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (Cops) found that officers were more likely to be killed when they were responding to a domestic dispute than any other type of call they received. And in a country where on any given day the domestic violence hotline receives over 20,000 calls, you can imagine the number of calls the 911 operators receive.
Officers Are the Initial Source of Support for Victims of Domestic Violence
Police officers are the key frontline services that victims can use to prevent and stop intimate partner abuse. They provide practical support, such as helping change security locks on doors, giving victims mobile phones, or putting a “marker” on a house so that other officers in the area can get there as quickly as possible in a future situation. Officers are crucial and are often a woman’s only chance when 1/3 women who file a restraining order are murdered within 2 months by the recipient of that order.
Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities Has Supported Local Law Enforcement With Equipment to Keep Them Safe During Their Calls
At Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities we have donated thousands of dollars of equipment to local law enforcement agencies to help keep our officers safe when responding to high-risk calls such as domestic violence situations. We hope to continue to provide them with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves and their communities that will enable them to prevent and stop incidents of violence and abuse.
As a local non-profit, we believe that the effects of domestic violence affect us all as a society even if you aren’t directly related to it. In Milwaukee and right here in our backyard in Miami-Dade, police departments from both cities were studied in 2011 and it was found that 3,078 intimate partner violence calls were placed and of those, 117 calls resulted in an officer being assaulted. We hope to have shed some light on a lesser spoken topic regarding the issue. During domestic violence awareness month, we invite you to take some time to remember the officers who provide support for the victims and who answer these calls knowing the statistics they face.
Erik Agazim LE Charities Presents $500 Check to Officer of the Month
The Miami-Dade Police Department nominated Detective Manuel L. Gonzalez for the prestigious Miami-Dade County Chiefs of Police Association Officer of the Month Award. Erik Agazim Law Enforcement Charities presented a check for $500 dollars to the officer of the month, for his outstanding bravery in the face of a daunting situation. Detective Gonzalez has been awarded the department Gold Medal of Valor, the Purple Heart Award, and selected as the Department’s Distinguished Officer of the Month for April 2018.
Detective Gonzalez was working an off-duty security detail at Walmart Super Center. He was directed by an employee to a male suspected of shoplifting. He followed him out of the store and confronted him at his vehicle regarding the alleged shoplifting. During the encounter, the suspect suddenly produced a handgun and fired several shots injuring Detective Gonzalez who quickly returned fire, incapacitating him.
Each month Erik Agazim LE Charities donates $500 to the Officer of the Month and an additional $1000 to the Officer of the Year. The organization would like to thank Detective Gonzalez for his courage and commitment to his department and community and applaud his perseverance during his recovery. Erik Agazim LE Charities’ commitment to the local law enforcement community extends into providing cadet tuition, agency equipment grants, and support for the families of fallen officers.
Detective Gonzalez’ decisive action quickly ended a situation that had the potential of harming shoppers and responding officers. During the incident, he displayed courage and heroism and has continued to do so throughout his recovery.
Detective Gonzalez’ commitment to maintaining a positive attitude about his profession and resilience in the face of adversity are an example of the true valour displayed by our local law enforcement officers.
From left to right: Erik Agazim, Andy Serafine, Indian Creek police Chief – Clarke P. Maher, and Major William Washa of Adventura Police Department
Erik Agazim to Sponsor an Upcoming Charity Golf Tournament in Support of a Nationwide Law Enforcement Organization
Through newly-founded EALE Charities, Agazim and National Police Ammunition will sponsor the 12th Annual Charles B. Stafford Memorial Golf Tournament taking place at Miami Springs Golf & Country Club.
Officer Charles B. Stafford, the first and only Miami Springs police officer to be killed in the line of duty, was shot dead on Tuesday June 11, 1991, after stopping a stolen vehicle.
The annual golf tournament remembers Stafford for making the ultimate sacrifice, with all proceeds to benefit COPS—Concerns of Police Survivors—and the Miami Springs Fraternal Order of Police.
COPS is a nationwide organization which assists families whose loved ones have been taken in the line of duty. Meanwhile, the Miami Springs Fraternal Order of Police, comprised of local law enforcement officers, exists to benefit local concerns in and around the law enforcement community.
Speaking of the tournament, National Police Ammunition founder Erik Agazim, a platinum sponsor for the event, remarks, “I’m proud to be a part of this honorable event which gives our organization the opportunity to assist families of law enforcement officers who are in need.”
Agazim adds, “Along with our platinum sponsorship contribution, we will be donating a further $700 in gift certificates, for our shooting range, to the winning team. I hope this will motivate more people and more teams to participate in the tournament.”
He continues, “Law enforcement has blessed National Police Ammunition over the last nine years, so I’m excited and grateful to have the opportunity to give something back.”
National Police Ammunition already sponsors the Florida Police Athletic-Activities League, the Michael Callin Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Erik Agazim and National Police Ammunition are also members of the Miami Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the Florida Highway Patrol Command Officers Association, and the Florida Sheriffs Association.
The 12th Annual Charles B. Stafford Memorial Golf Tournament is set to take place at Miami Springs Golf & Country Club on Friday, April 20, 2018.
