Emerald Society Dates & History

April 17, 2020

Greetings,

I hope everyone is staying healthy and well during these unprecedented times. These are certainly challenging times for all Public Safety Officers. As a result of the pandemic, all Police Week activities have been cancelled, postponing the National Conference of Law Enforcement Emerald Societies’ National Convention. Many of our activities will be postponed until the Fall Business Meeting in Arizona.

In regards to the election of the new Executive Board members, all positions were uncontested. As of May 15, 2020, the new Executive Board will be as follows:

President Robert Kerns – Jersey City PES

1st Vice President Sean McCarthy – Boston PES

2nd Vice President Andrew Hale – St. Louis PES

3rd Vice President Thomas Cody – Illinois PES

Executive Director William Tinker – New Haven PES

Treasurer John Rowley – Essex County ES

Recording Secretary Cynthia Schultz – Jersey City PES

Financial Secretary Mark Matthews – Atlanta PES

Sergeant at Arms Brian Burke – San Francisco PES

I would like to thank the outgoing Executive Board and Committee members for their hard work and a job well done. Additionally, I would like to thank the Board of Directors and the membership of this organization for the twenty-four good years that I spent as a member of the Executive Board. Especially, the last three years as the president which certainly has been a high point in my law enforcement career.

Thank You and God Bless,

Michael P. Newton

National President

NCLEES

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

EMERALD SOCIETIES

Emerald Society Dates in History

1953- The first official Emerald Society was established by the members of the New York Police Department. First President Henry J. Fitzgerald (3/16/1953).

1955-First official correction officers emerald society formed- New York City Correction Emerald Society. First President James Mulvey. (11/17/55).

1956-First official fire emerald formed: New York City Fire Department Emerald Society. First President Eugene O’Kane.

1958-First official combined police and fire emerald society formed in New Jersey. Essex County Police & Fire Emerald Society (6/1/1958).

1958- First official non-public safety emerald society formed. The New York City Housing Employees Emerald Society.

1960-The first official police pipeband formed in the United States. The Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society of the New York Police Department.

1962- The first official fire pipeband formed in the United States. New York City Fire Department Pipes and Drums.

1975- The first NYC regional organization formed; comprised of public safety and professional/trade emerald societies. The Grand Council of United Emerald Societies. The origins date back to the mid 1950’s.

1975-First emerald society formed in the mid-west. The Emerald Society of Illinois.

1978- NYPD Detective James “Barney” Ferguson was the Grand Marshal of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. First time in history of NYC parade that a police officer was the Grand Marshal. Ferguson was also a president of the NYPD Emerald Society.

1985- The first official Emerald Society of Sanitation formed: New York City Department of Sanitation (Origin 1938).

1986- The Police Emerald Society of the Washington DC Area was established. Being in the nation’s capital and a federal city, this emerald society allowed any law enforcement officers from across the United States to join (3/17/1986).

1992-First emerald society formed on the west coast. Los Angeles Police Department Emerald Society.

1994- First statewide public safety emerald society formed. The Grand Council of Police & Fire Emerald Societies of New Jersey.

1995- First national public safety emerald society formed. The National Conference of Law Enforcement Emerald Societies (NCLEES). First President: Patrick F. O’Brien (5/14/1995).

1995- The first federal government-wide law enforcement emerald society formed. Emerald Society of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies (ESFLEA).

1996- After its first full year in existence, NCLEES had 29 chapters from across the country. Chapter #29: Grand Council of New Jersey Police & Fire Emerald Societies,

1997- First emerald society formed in the southern United States. Metropolitan Atlanta Police Emerald Society (2/28/1997).

1997-First emerald society formed in the southwest United States. Emerald Society of Texas-Austin Police Department (12/3/1997).

1997-NCLEES receives the “Keys to the City” from Omaha Nebraska Mayor Hal Daub (1/24/1997).

1998- NCLEES was tested as a national organization. Two US Capitol police officers were killed in the Capitol. Due to the national significance, the Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich authorized the two officers to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. NCLEES was tasked with assembling mass pipebands to play in the Rotunda and at Arlington National Cemetery. With less than a 48-hour notice, NCLEES was able to assemble ten pipebands from New York, New Jersey, Illinois Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts and Kentucky (7/28/98).

1998-NCLEES receives from Boston City Council an “official resolution” making the weekend of November 7, 1998-National Conference of Law Enforcement Societies in the City of Boston.

1999-NCLEES receives from the City Council and Mayor’s Office an official proclamation making March 5. 1999, “Law Enforcement Emerald Society Day” in the City of San Francisco.

1999- NCLEES is recognized by the U.S. Congress with House Resolution #171 (5/13/1999). The resolution was given to NCLEES regarding the efforts in assembling ten pipe bands from nine states to the US Capitol for the funerals of two US Capitol police officers killed.

1999- By the end of the century, NCLEES had 50 chapters from across the country. Chapter#50: Police Emerald Society of Southeast Georgia (Savannah).

2000- By the end of 2000, NCLEES had 57 chapters from across the country. Chapter#57: Capitol District Law Enforcement Emerald Society of Upstate New York.

2020- By the end of 2020, NCLEES had 88 chapters from across the country. Chapter# 88: Orange County Law Enforcement Emerald Society (CA).

Author:

Patrick F. O’Brien, NCLEES Historian

Updated: 8/22/2022