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715 W. 2nd Street  ~  Ottawa, KS 66067  ~  (785) 242-2561
                                                                    
                                                                     Our Vision:

The Ottawa Police Foundation (OPF) exists to promote public safety by supporting and providing   
additional resources for community outreach programs, for advanced professional development of
Ottawa’s law enforcement members, acquisition of advanced technology to improve crime
fighting, and by creating community partnerships that encourage citizen participation to enhance
the safety of Ottawa.

                                                         The Role of the Foundation:

The OPF recognizes that the Ottawa Police Department, with more than 85% of its budget devoted
to personnel costs, has little flexibility to develop new programs and encourage innovation.  The
role of Foundation is not to supplant funding for basic law enforcement services, nor to reduce in
any way the responsibility of the City of Ottawa to commit the necessary funding for law
enforcement services for its citizens.  However, to continue evolving into a modern and progressive
organization, the Ottawa Police Department, in partnership with the community, is pursuing
advanced technology, training, and seeking to enhance existing programs.  

                       The Foundation plans to use donations from fellow citizens to enhance the
                                   Ottawa Police Department’s efforts in the following vital areas: 

  • Community Partnerships - Programs like the summer D.A.R.E. Camp that enhances
    relationships between the community and the Ottawa Police Department.
  • Acquisition of advanced technology - to improve employee efficiency, increase officer safety,
    and to provide enhanced service.  
  • Establish a Police Cadet Program - that identifies graduating seniors from local high schools
    who aspire to work as police officers for the Ottawa Police Department.  Successful
    candidates would work part-time as civilian police cadets.  Simultaneously, they would attend
    Neosho County Community College through scholarships provided by the Foundation as full-
    time students and earn an Associates Degree.
  • Employee Development - Advanced training for all officers, and executive level training to
    improve professional development.  Moreover, these efforts are designed to serve as a
    recruiting and retention tool.
  • Police service enhancement - achieve certification from the Commission on Accreditation for
    Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for the police department to become a nationally
    accredited law enforcement agency. This provides a process to systematically conduct an
    internal review and assessment of the department’s policies and procedures, and make
    adjustments wherever necessary to meet a body of internationally accepted standards.