By Steve Plunkett
The Cops Caring for Cops Fundraiser has started.
The Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police is “adopting” or supporting 20 police officers who were significantly harmed by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall Oct. 9.
The officers work in the Treasure Island area, just north of St. Pete Beach, and were in some of the most impacted areas. They were selected because Palm Beach County agencies sent officers and other resources to them immediately following the storm and saw firsthand the devastation suffered by the Treasure Island police.
Lantana Police Chief Sean Scheller asked for — and received — his Town Council’s approval for Scheller’s department to send the Treasure Island Police Department $2,000.
“Throughout the year we’re given donations and those are primarily earmarked for certain programs, but some funds are not,” Scheller said. He suggested taking $2,000 of the undesignated donations and sharing it with the Treasure Island Police Association on behalf of the town and the local department.
“As we assist these other communities, we think about how lucky we were to be spared by Mother Nature during this hurricane season,” said Gulf Stream Police Chief Richard Jones, who also is president of the county chiefs association. “We also know that if our communities would have been impacted, these brave and honorable men and women from Treasure Island would have deployed here to help and support our needs.”
The chiefs association has partnered with a foundation that will assist it in supporting these officers by acting as the receiver and distributor of the funds. This process will allow 100% of the money raised to go directly to those in need. The foundation’s name is Treasure Island Police Association, or TIPA, and any checks should be made payable to that foundation.
All donations should be delivered to the Gulf Stream Police Department or Town Hall in early December so that the chiefs can hand-deliver the funds to the foundation in time for the holidays.
Jones said he would like to “make sure these officers and their families are able to have the Christmas they deserve.”
Mary Thurwachter contributed to this story.
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