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HomepageSeveral Chicago Police Officers founded the Latin American Police Association in 1961. At that time there was only a handful of Hispanics on the Chicago Police Department. This was due in part to subtle discrimination, such as the imposition of a minimum height requirement, as well as overt discrimination, which has historically excluded the 'first wave' of most immigrant groups. Another impediment was the fact that most police agencies in Hispanic countries were notoriously corrupt and this distrust of the police lingered after the immigrant’s arrival.In 1982, LAPA founded the Hispanic Institute of Law Enforcement as the Educational arm of LAPA , and in 1987 LAPA had the distinction of being a founding charter member of the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association, in Miami, Florida. During 1994, in Chicago, Illinois, LAPA was a founding charter member of the national organization (CHAPA), Coalition of Hispanic American Police Associations. Established 1988 HNLEA National History The Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association Inc. is a nonprofit organization of professionals involved in the administration of justice and dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic (Latino) and minority interests within the law enforcement profession. P.O. Box 543 Cheltenham, MD 20623 WWW.HNLEA.ORG National@hnlea.org Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association HNLEA |