Our History

The Minnesota Asian Peace Officers Association (MNAPOA) started in 2008 when four veteran police officers of Asian descent came together to create a source of support for newly recruited and hired Asian police officers as they navigate their career with guidance, mentorship and other resources. These veteran officers were familiar with the adversity these young officers would face as an Asian police officer in Minnesota where traditionally, law enforcement careers are not typically pursued or supported by Asian families and communities. Additionally, one of their goals with this association was to create opportunities for law enforcement agencies to become more reflective of the communities they served. The creation of this association and the establishment of their main goals quickly led to the support of Police Chief John Harrington as well as the National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA).

Almost ten years after our creation, the Minnesota Peace Officers Association had grown to 200 members from various local, county and state agencies. Our diverse membership had come to include ethnic backgrounds including Asian, Latino, Black and White officers. Our goal remained the same: to show up for the communities that we serve and our greater law enforcement family.

The Minnesota Asian Peace Officers Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that continues to build successful recruitment and retention efforts of talented multilingual and educated Asian law enforcement professionals, including the creation of a networking program specifically for our Asian Peace Officers. We constantly strive to create a strong working relationship between our local Asian communities and law enforcement as well as promote awareness and understanding of the rich Asian culture within our law enforcement community.