Our mission: To educate and equip sheriffs, peace officers and public officials with the necessary information and public support to carry out their duties in accordance with their Oath of Office.

To Serve and Protect

TO SERVE: Who? THE PEOPLE. Other possible answers that may have been implied our stated outright may include "To serve the government", "To serve the law" or "To serve your commanding officer". While there may be a grain of truth in there somewhere, let's remember who we're all REALLY there to serve: The People. The guy next door; the family down the street; the good, hard-working people of this great land who see their liberty as a precious gift and excercise it with great care, being ever concious not to tread on the liberty of others. Those who still honor our Constitution as the establishment of the greatest form of government ever to exist on Earth.

AND PROTECT: What? THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE. Wait a minute, isn't our job to write tickets and catch bad guys? We may do a lot of that on a day-to-day basis, but never lose sight of what we are really all about. We are about keeping our communities (and thereby, the nation as a whole) a free, happy, safe place to live. Why do we catch and punish lawbreakers? Because if our laws are constitutionally correct, they prohibit us from doing only those things that infringe on the rights or freedoms of others. For example, when a theif takes something that someone else has worked for, he is denying that citizen the right to their own property. When someone commits a violent crime, he is damaging the most valuable real property a person can own, which is their own body. Traffic laws are in place for the same reason: To protect life and property.

But all too often, our lawmakers enact more laws in a supposed effort to protect everyone from everything, even from ourselves. Lawmakers cross the line when they attempt this by violating one of our most precious constitutional rights of all: The right to determine our own destiny.

We often do not realize how blessed we are to live in a land where each of us can choose:

• What job we will take, and under what conditions, and when we will change jobs
• What education we will gain
• Where we will live
• How big of a family we will have (or whether to have one at all)
• What kind of house to live in
• What kind of vehicle to drive
• How to restrain ourselves and our passengers while operating a vehicle
• What religion we will follow
• How, where and when we will invest our earnings
• Where, when and what type of medical care we will seek
• What medicines we will use
• What kind of foods we eat
• What kind of milk we drink
• What we will spend our money on
• How we will use our own property
• How we defend ourselves, our families and our property
• How we care for the poor and needy in our communities
• How to educate our own children
• What values/morals to teach our children

We have already lost our rights to do at least half of the things on that list as well as many others, to some extent! What is going on here? Simply this: Power-hungry government officials - backed by people with hidden agendas - have convinced us to sacrifice our freedoms bit by bit, always in the name of some supposedly noble cause (usually something to do with protecting us from some imaginary or greatly exaggerated danger). And with every change they gain a little more power; a little more control.

But what does this have to do with the CSPOA?

The county sheriff is the line in the sand. The county sheriff is the one who can say to the feds, "Beyond these bounds you shall not pass." This is not only within the scope of the sheriff's authority; it's the sheriff's sworn duty. And what about the little guys; the individual police officers? It's all about judgement calls. When you pull over a frazzled apologetic mother with a minivan full of crazed kids who has just 'rolled' a stop sign, do you treat her the same as you would a pack of bad-mouthed teenagers in a hot rod that smells like dope for the same offense? The people of this land would certainly hope that you would have more charity than that, and we at the CSPOA believe that you do.

Remember to ask yourself, "What is the purpose of this law I am enforcing? Am I helping to serve the people and protect their rights by doing this, or am I doing something else entirely?"

This is why we encourage you, the next time you hear "Serve and Protect" to repeat in your own mind the true meaning, embodied in our slogan: To Serve The People And Protect Their Rights.

The Purpose of the CSPOA - An introduction by Sheriff Richard Mack

Dear Friend of Freedom:
 
Back in 1988 I left a job I loved to move home to AZ to run for Graham County sheriff. Nobody thought I could win, as I had never been a cop in Arizona or in my hometown and hadn't even lived there for nearly 12 years. I won. Then I ran for re-election in 1992. I won again. Soon thereafter, the Brady bill was signed into law by Bill Clinton. Three federal agents showed up at our AZ Sheriffs Association meeting and handed us each a document from the Dept. of the Treasury, which detailed what our "orders" were to comply with the Brady bill. All the sheriffs were shocked and against it. However, each sheriff said there was nothing we could do about it, "you can't fight city hall" was the frequent comment. I disagreed and decided to sue my own government. Everybody said I was crazy and that I could not win. Six other sheriffs from various parts of the USA joined the lawsuit. The case went all the way to the U S Supreme Court and miracle of miracles, WE WON!
 

Listen to Sheriff Mack describe the problems we are facing, and the solution! (Audio, 7 min)

Now, today, our country is dying and all the experts say we're on the right track or if we are not, that there's nothing we can do about it. I disagree; there is something we can do! Our "leaders" continually urge us to stay on the Titanic and they count on our ignorance and apathy to keep us on board. The questions are: 1) Can we save America? And 2) Will enough people get involved and dedicate themselves to make this dream a reality?  The answers lie within our grasp and come from the foundation of our country. The principles are embodied within the Declaration of Independence and outlined in the Constitution.
 
Yes, America is in deep, deep trouble. The good news is that there is hope and my victory at the U S Supreme Court proves that it only takes a few to stand to make monumental changes. We do not have to stand by and watch while America is destroyed from within. If our counties, cities, and states and all local officers keep their oaths to protect us from tyranny, we can win this battle to take our country back. This is our plan, our goal and our quest.
 
We are forming the Constitutional Peace Officers Association which will unite all public servants and sheriffs, to keep their word to uphold, defend, protect, preserve, and obey the Constitutions of the United States of America. We already have hundreds of police, sheriffs, and other officials who have expressed a desire to be a part of this Holy Cause of Liberty. We are going to train and vet them all, state by state, to understand and enforce the constitutionally protected Rights of the people they serve, with an emphasis on State Sovereignty and local autonomy. Then these local governments will issue our new Declaration to the Federal Government regarding the abuses that we will no longer tolerate or accept. Said declaration will be enforced by our Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers. In short, the CSPOA will be the army to set our nation free. This will guarantee this movement remains both peaceful and effective.
 
In the Mack/Printz ruling, the Supreme Court ruled, "But the Constitution protects us from our own best intentions." The only thing we lack to make this principle a reality is the people who are devoted enough to make it so. The sheriffs and police are the answer.
 
The Founders of America pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish liberty here in the USA. To keep it, we the People must do likewise.
 
Thomas Jefferson said, "Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty." The CSPOA will unite the sheriffs, police, and local officials who are willing and courageous enough to join us in the "tempestuous sea of liberty." I am asking you to join with us.
 
"If we fail, we fail while daring greatly, so that our posterity will never place us among those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
 
For God, Family, and Country,

Sheriff Richard Mack
CSPOA Executive Director