The Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association was founded in 1957 with the purpose of allowing local law enforcement executives a forum to exchange information and ideas, as well as to coordinate resources and operations in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
With over one hundred members from over thirty agencies representing seven counties surrounding Tampa Bay, our organization is now one of the most influential of its kind in the United States. Not only do we continue with the established mission, but the TBACPA has become a major partner in community service as well. Each year, we help to host fundraising events to benefit charity organizations such as the Gold Shield Foundation and Police Athletic League. We also provide scholarship awards to local students seeking education in the field of criminal justice.
Membership in the organization is not limited to police administrators. We also have several in our ranks who represent the business interest of our profession. These valuable partners work in private industry with ties to the law enforcement mission, and with their help, we are much more effective in providing critical public services.
Please support our scholarship and law enforcement training programs by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Foundation.
By-Laws of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association, Inc.
Approved: June 11, 2026
ARTICLE ONE - Preamble
A. The name of this organization shall be Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association, Inc. (TBACPA).
The organization shall have a seal.
ARTICLE TWO - Purposes
The Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association has been established to promote a professional organization of chiefs of police and senior level police executives whose purpose will be to advance professionalism in all areas of law enforcement. This will be accomplished through education of members and education of the general public as to the role of police in modern society, while at all times maintaining the highest ethical and moral standards of its members. Regular meetings will be held for the purpose of acquiring a broader knowledge of public affairs and community needs and to become, through instruction, discussion, and study, better prepared for the leadership of our respective organizations.
ARTICLE THREE - Membership
Within the Association, there shall be the following membership classifications: Active, Associate, Sustaining/Corporate, Honorary, and Life. Persons meeting the criteria for a specific membership classification shall submit an application as indicated for the respective classification.
A. Active Membership: Active membership in this Association shall be limited to full-time law enforcement chief executives and command staff as determined by the Chief Executive, engaging in the management of municipal, county, state or federal law enforcement agencies in the State of Florida.
1. An individual seeking an active membership with the TBACP Association will be required to obtain a written sponsorship from a currently affiliated ACTIVE member of the Association. The written sponsorship request, should be directed to the
Board of Directors and shall identify the recommended member to be considered for membership.
2. A majority vote of the Board of Directors at any given meeting is needed for approval.
3. All active members shall have the right to vote and hold office in this Association.
4. Active members shall pay annual dues.
B. Associate Membership: This membership shall consist of all persons representing themselves (not
an entity, business, corporation or vendor) who are not eligible for active membership, but who are
qualified by training and experience in law enforcement or other law enforcement activity, or by other
professional attainments in the law enforcement and criminal justice sciences.
Persons who have retired from law enforcement or have the training and experience to apply for
associate membership and want to represent a business or entity through their membership should
apply for a Sustaining/Corporate membership.
1. An individual seeking an associate membership TBACP Association shall receive a written endorsement by a chief executive holding active membership from the agency which the proposed member is affiliated. This should be directed to the Board of Directors of the TBACPA.
2. A majority vote of the active members present at a regularly scheduled general meeting is needed for approval.
3. Associate members shall have all the privileges of active members, except that of voting and holding office.
4. Associate members shall pay dues.
C. Sustaining/Corporate Membership: To be a sustaining/corporate member, the applicant must be a person in good standing in the community who has shown a strong desire to further the aims of quality law enforcement. It should be noted that membership is granted to individuals as representatives of entities/corporations and NOT to the entities/corporations they may represent.
1. Nomination for an individual seeking a sustaining/corporate membership must be proposed by an active member, in good standing with the TBACP Association and directed to the Board of Directors.
2. A majority vote of the Board of Directors at any given meeting is needed for approval.
3. Sustaining/Corporate members may attend and participate in general meetings but shall have no vote and may not hold office.
4. Membership dues shall be fixed at a rate 100% higher than that paid by active and associate members.
D. Honorary Membership: To be elected an honorary member of the TBACPA, a person shall have to have performed an outstanding service or act relating to law enforcement. The person need not be a law enforcement officer.
1. Nomination for honorary membership must be made in writing by an active member in good standing and shall be directed to the Board of Directors.
2. A majority vote of the Board of Directors at any given meeting is needed for approval.
3. Honorary members may attend and participate in general meetings but shall have no vote and may not hold office.
4 . Honorary members are not required to pay dues.
E. Life Membership: Any person may apply for life membership by meeting one of the criteria listed
below;
1. Any person holding active or associate membership who shall voluntarily retire from an agency covered by Article Three, Sections A and B of the By-Laws of the TBACPA, while a member in good standing of the Association, shall automatically become eligible to apply for life membership
or
2. All past and immediate past presidents shall automatically be eligible to apply for life membership
or
3. Any person who has maintained continuous or broken active membership in the Association for a period that totals over (10) years shall be eligible to apply for life membership
a. Any person meeting one of the aforementioned criteria shall apply for life membership by directing a written application to the Board of Directors of the TBACPA.
b. A majority vote of the Board of Directors at any given meeting is needed for approval.
c. Life Members shall have the right to vote and hold office.
d. Life Members are required to pay dues as long as they are employed in an administrative law enforcement position, on a full-time basis. Upon retirement, the life member shall not be required to pay dues.
e. Upon approval vote, the Secretary shall notify the person that they have been elected a life member and will retain full active membership privileges.
f. Additionally, a plaque denoting life membership shall be presented to the life member at the January Installation Meeting.
F. Membership Removal - Any member may be removed when sufficient cause exists for such removal.
Such action may be taken by recommendation of a majority of the Board of Directors and majority vote
of the membership, at any given meeting.
​ARTICLE FOUR - Meetings
The annual membership meeting of this organization shall be held during the month of January each year. The Secretary shall cause to be mailed or electronically mailed to every member in good standing a notice of the time and place of such annual meeting.
Regular meetings may be held monthly or as called by the President.
Twenty-five current voting members shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary to conduct the business of the organization. A lesser number may adjourn the meeting for a period of not more than three (3) weeks from the date scheduled by these By-Laws.
The Secretary shall cause a notice of this scheduled meeting originally called. A quorum as hereinbefore set forth shall be required at any adjourned meeting.
Special meetings of this organization may be called by the President when it is deemed to be in the best interest of this organization. Notices of such meeting shall be mailed to all members at their addresses as they appear in the membership roll book at least ten (10) days but not more than thirty (30) days before the scheduled date set for such special meeting. Such notice shall state the reasons that such meeting has been called, the business to be transacted at such meeting, and by whom called.
At the request of three (3) members of the Board of Directors or ten (10) members of the organization, the President shall cause a special meeting to be called. Such request must be made in writing at least seven (7) days before the requested scheduled date.
ARTICLE FIVE - Voting
At all meetings, including the election of officers and directors, all votes may be by voice vote or, at the discretion of the President, written ballot.
ARTICLE SIX - Order of Business
1. Call to Order
2. Invocation
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Roll Call
5. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
6. Treasurer’s Report
7. Committee/Officer’s Report
8. Old Business
9. New Business
10. Program
11. Remarks for the Good of the Association
12. Adjournment
ARTICLE SEVEN - Board of Directors
The business of this organization shall be managed by a Board of Directors consisting of eleven (11) active members, which includes the elected officers of this organization and the immediate past president. Four of the members of the Board may be an executive officer of an agency, and two Board members may be a retired chief executives from a law enforcement agency. Each of the remaining officers and directors shall serve as the chief executive of a law enforcement agency within the Tampa
Bay Region or, in the case of federal and state law enforcement agencies, the regional officer in command.
The directors to be chosen for the ensuing year shall be chosen prior to the annual meeting of this organization in the same manner and style as the officers of this organization. They shall serve for a term of one (1) year and may be re-elected.
The Board of Directors shall have the control and management of the affairs and business of this organization. Such Board of Directors shall only act in the name of the organization when it shall be regularly convened by the President after due notice to all the directors of such meeting.
Six (6) members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held quarterly, or more frequently as called by the President. Each director shall have one vote, and such voting may be done by proxy delivered to the President verbally or in writing prior to the meeting. The Board of Directors may make such rules and regulations covering its meetings as it may in its discretion determine necessary.
Vacancies in the Board of Directors will be filled by a vote of the majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors for the balance of the year.
The President of the organization shall be chairperson of the Board of Directors.
A director may be removed when sufficient cause exists for such removal. Such action may be taken by recommendation of a majority of the Board of Directors and majority vote of the membership present.
ARTICLE EIGHT - Officers
A. The officers of the organization shall be:
1. President
2. Vice-President
3. Secretary/Treasurer
B. The President shall preside at all membership meetings and shall:
1. Be Chairperson of the Board of Directors;
2. Be present at each annual meeting of the organization and prepare an Annual Report of the work of the organization;
3. Appoint all committees, temporary or permanent;
4. Assure that all books, reports, and certificates as required by law are properly kept or filed.
5. Serve as one of the officers who may sign the checks or drafts of the organization; and
6. Have such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the chief executive of any organization.
C. The Vice President shall, in the event of the absence or inability of the President to exercise the office, become Acting President of the organization with all rights, privileges, and powers as if duly elected. In the event that the President resigns during his/her term of office, the Vice President shall immediately become Acting President and will serve in that capacity for the remainder of that year. If then duly elected, the Vice President will then assume the position of President during the January Installation meeting.
D. The Secretary/ Treasurer shall:
1. Keep the minutes and records of the organization in appropriate files;
2. File any certificate required by any statute, federal or state;
3. Give and serve all notices to members of the organization;
4. Be the official custodian of the records and seal of this organization;
5. Present to the membership at any meetings any communications addressed to the organization;
6. Attend to all correspondence of the organization and exercise all duties incident to the Office of Secretary/Treasurer;
7. Have the care and custody of all monies belonging to the organization and shall be responsible for such monies or securities of the organization;
8. Cause to be deposited in a regular business bank or trust company a sum to be determined by the Board of Directors, with the balance of the funds of the organization to be deposited in a savings bank, except that the Board may cause such funds to be invested in such investments as shall be legal for a savings bank in the State of Florida;
9. Sign checks or drafts of the organization. No special fund may be set aside that shall make it unnecessary for the Secretary/Treasurer to sign the checks issued upon it; and
10. Render, at stated periods as the Board of Directors shall determine, a written account of the finances of the organization; such report shall be physically affixed to the minutes of the Board of Directors of such meeting.
E. Officers shall, by virtue of their office, be members of the Board of Directors. The officers of the association shall be elected annually at the regular November meeting by the members and assume office at the January meeting for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE NINE - Salaries and Remuneration
A. The Board of Directors shall hire and fix the compensation of any and all employees which they, in their discretion, may determine to be necessary in the conduct of business of the organization.
B. No officer shall be entitled to receive any salary, but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer or director from receiving any compensation from the organization for duties or expenses.
C. A petty cash fund is hereby established to fund reimbursements to be limited to a total of $200.00. All expenses shall be documented and available for review by the President or his/her designee with proper notice.
ARTICLE TEN - Committees
A. All committees of this organization shall be appointed by the President. Their term of office shall be for a period of one (1) year or less, if sooner terminated by the action of the President.
B. Active and associate members may serve on committees.
ARTICLE ELEVEN - Dues
The dues of this organization shall be set upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, no later than the November meeting and payable during the month of January.
ARTICLE TWELVE - Presenters
The Association shall consider two classifications of presenters: Sponsors and speakers.
A. Sponsors – those who wish to address the general membership, with the intent to promote a non-charitable product or service. A sponsor who wishes to address the general membership shall pay a fee of $500 and be allowed to address the general membership for 20 minutes. The Board may waive or amend these fees at any time with majority vote.
B. Speakers – those who wish to or are asked to address the general membership or Board for the general benefit of the membership or Board; to solicit support; or to offer charitable information or services.
Speakers presenting at the request of the Board may be allotted time up to two hours, at the discretion of the Board.
Speakers presenting to solicit support or to offer charitable information or services shall be approved by
the Board and limited to no more than 30 minutes. The time allotted shall be determined by the Board
when approval is sought. More than one speaker soliciting support or offering charitable information
may be allowed during any given meeting, however the total time of all speakers shall not exceed 30
minutes.
C. The Board shall ensure that any combination of sponsors and/or speakers will not exceed 30 minutes
for any general membership meeting., notwithstanding speakers who were asked to present for the
general benefit of the membership.
​​
​
ARTICLE THIRTEEN - Amendments
​
A. These By-Laws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Board and majority of membership present.
B. Proposed By-Law amendments must be provided in writing, or electronically to all active and life members no less than 30 days prior to the meeting at which they will be considered.