About
Our History
The Athens-Clarke Police Foundation is an alliance of business and civic leaders, law enforcement organizations and citizens committed to strengthen the bond between members of the Athens-Clarke Police Department and the citizens it serves.
The Athens-Clarke Police Foundation funds youth and community outreach programs, community policing initiatives, crime prevention and safety programs, advanced education and officer training, and efforts to support law enforcement to help members perform their duties to the highest caliber.
Our Mission
The historical and cultural center of Athens has always been the University of Georgia. However, as Athens continues to grow and prosper, its citizens have developed a strong sense of community, both personally and professionally.
However, the Athens-Clarke County Police Foundation believes that our police department has played a vital role in maintaining this community, helping it grow safely. Their service has not been without a cost, and members of the community wanted to give back.
The interest in forming a local police foundation began with former police chief Jack Lumpkin, who felt that such a foundation could serve as a great resource to the police department as well as the community. Chief Lumpkin was a strong believer in the concept of Community Policing, and the importance of engaging the community in all police services.
The Athens-Clarke County Police foundation was founded in 2015 to help repay our debt to our police officers, to make their jobs easier, and to help build our community as safely and effectively as possible.
There was some initial concern by members within the political arena that the Foundation would compete with the responsibilities of the elected authority, and some resisted the idea. An effort began to present the positive side of the issue extending over some three years. The diligent efforts resulted in persuasion of the benefits with total acceptance of the plan. A group of interested citizens was presented with the concept, and the Foundation was created.
Our Mission
Members of the Police Foundation strive to do more for their community. In conjunction with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Police Foundation hopes to bridge the gap between the police serving Athens and the citizens they serve, fostering community engagement and youth development in the process. By supporting and providing resources for the men and women of our local law enforcement, the Police Foundation seeks to make Athens-Clarke County a better, safer place to live for everyone.
Mission Statement
- To promote and support the Athens-Clarke County Police Department;
- To promote and support community outreach on the part of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department;
- To serve as a liaison between the public and the private sectors of the City of Athens, and to engage the Athens community on the core issues of public safety;
- To enlist broad participation in the quest for an even better quality of life for those who live and work in Athens, GA;
- To receive and accept property, whether real, personal, or mixed, by way of gift, bequest, or devise, from any person, firm, trust, or corporation, to be held, administered, and disposed of in accordance with and pursuant to the governing instruments of the corporation, as the same may be amended from time to time;
- To assist the ACCPD in charitable events and campaigns, and
- To perform all other acts necessary or incidental to the above and to do whatever is deemed necessary, useful, advisable, or conducive, directly or indirectly, as determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion, to carry out any of the purposes of the corporation, as set forth in the articles of incorporation and these bylaws, including the exercise of all other power and authority enjoyed by corporations generally by virtue of the provisions of the Georgia Nonprofit Corporation.
But we can’t do it alone. In order to be successful, we rely on the support of members of Athens-Clarke County who are interested in helping their community grow and succeed.
