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CopsDirect launches to provide no-cost supply support to officers in need

LOS ANGELES — In response to the basic supply needs of law enforcement agencies facing budget shortfalls, CopsDirect, a San Francisco Bay Area-based non-profit, has officially launched to provide real time support at no cost to police and sheriff departments throughout the nation. The proven model is simple. Police and sheriff departments will make supply requests directly to CopsDirect who will then seek to deliver the requested items as quickly as possible.

Founded by Executive Director Aaron Negherbon, CopsDirect is the sister organization of the well-established TroopsDirect, the nation’s only military charity that responds in real time to supply requests that come directly from forward-deployed troops throughout the world. TroopsDirect has shipped roughly 3 million pounds of critically needed items to American military units including Special Forces units positioned around the globe.

“Many of the vendors we work with through TroopsDirect also supply law enforcement agencies,” said Negherbon. “And the more we heard about officers forced to do more with less, the more committed we became to step in and help. Our model has worked exceptionally well with our troops and we’re confident it will do the same for police and sheriff departments.”

With many states and municipalities facing budget issues local law enforcement agencies are often forced to allocate funding in other areas, which can deplete supplies. A key factor is departments needing to train and re-train officers to respond to newer threats, such as terrorism and mass shootings, which can stretch budgets.

“The idea of local police departments holding bake sales and car washes in order to purchase basic supplies, particularly those intended to keep both officers and citizens safe, is something we had to address,” says Negherbon whose initial shipment provided more than 1,200 first responder trauma kits to 20 in-need departments throughout the country. After consulting with police suppliers, Negherbon anticipates supply requests ranging from body cameras to K-9 supplies.

Another similarity between CopsDirect and TroopsDirect, both funded predominantly through citizen donations, is that roughly 90 cents of each donated dollar will go directly to supply purchase and shipment. This stands in contrast to the charity industry average of 60 cents on the dollar according to the American Institute of Philanthropy.

For more information on CopsDirect, please visit www.copsdirect.org.

For Police and Sheriff Department representatives interested in making a supply request please visit www.copsdirect.org/requests

About CopsDirect
CopsDirect is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization supplying law enforcement agencies within the United States with any critically needed items or training they cannot acquire through normal procurement practices. Procurement issues may stem from budgetary restraints within an agency, a lack of staffing, or not enough responses to warrant a given—but still needed—acquisition. Items fall into the categories of medical, operational, tactical, communications, or K9 for the conventional beat officer or specialized elements such as K9, SWAT, first responders, and search & rescues. This support is provided at no expense to the requesting agency.

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