Monday, 14 September 2009 13:26 | Author: Joe Cousins | 
PASADENA - After the funerals, after the headlines die down, organizers of a new nonprofit organization vow they'll still be there for the families of slain law-enforcement officers.
"The goal is to supply families of police officers injured or killed in the line of duty with financial assistance," said Brooke Kopanski, executive director of Adopt A Cop, which formed in June in Pasadena.
So far this year, 78 law-enforcement officers have died in the line of duty nationwide.
"We're trying to make sure they are not forgotten in the long run," Kopanski said.
Along with financially helping surviving family members, Adopt A Cop will also help officers injured on the job, providing assistance with medical bills and other help, organizers say.
"It's kind of a sigh of relief knowing that people like us are going to be there," said Officer Mark Hogan of the Los Angeles Police Department, who sits on the organization's advisory board.
Although several existing organizations aid families of slain officers, more can be done to help, Kopanski said.
"We're not here to replace police officers' associations - we're here to aid and assist them," she said. "We will step in and immediately see what they need, as far as financial backing."
Of the 78 officers slain this year, many were in their early 30s - to young to have qualified for pensions or other financial relief for their families, Kopanski said.
To make a donation to Adopt A Cop, call (888) 912-1911, or visit www.adoptacop.com.
"Even in a recession, if you call 9-1-1, the police are coming," Kopanski said. "It's important that the families are not forgotten."
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