About TOP COPS®

Since NAPO launched the awards program in 1994, the TOP COPS Awards® have paid tribute to outstanding law enforcement officers across the country for actions above and beyond the call of duty. TOP COPS® awardees are nominated by their fellow officers for outstanding service during the preceding calendar year.

The TOP COPS® are selected by an Awards Selection Committee comprised of national law enforcement representatives who choose one TOP COPS® case from each state and U.S. territory. The cases are then ranked and the top ten case winners are flown to Washington, DC for the awards ceremony. The awards show features a three-minute videotape of each TOP COP® and his or her story.

The TOP COPS Awards® are attended by celebrities, politicians, members of the national law enforcement community, corporate donors and other interested individuals. Here is just a short list of attendees we’ve been honored to have throughout the years:

President Bill Clinton

Vice President Al Gore

Michael Beach - NBC’s Third Watch

Coby Bell - NBC’s Third Watch

Richard Belzer - NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit [emcee 1995-2000]

Bobby Cannavale - NBC’s Third Watch

Charley Casserly - General Manager, Washington Redskins

Thomas Constantine -Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration

William Coyne - U.S. Representative (D-PA)

Dianne Feinstein - U.S. Senator (D-CA)

Max Gail - Barney Miller

Dermot Gallagher - Ireland’s Ambassador to the US

Eduardo Gonzalez - Director, U.S. Marshals Service

Mariska Hargitay - NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Michelle Hurd - NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Jim Johnson - Under Secretary for Law Enforcement, U.S. Treasury

Ray Kelly - Commissioner, U.S. Customs Service

Yaphet Kotto - NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street

John Magaw - Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

Ed Marinaro - NBC’s Hill Street Blues

Matthew G. Martinez - U.S. Representative (D-CA)

Barry McCaffrey - Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy

Christopher Meloni - NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

S. Epatha Merkerson - NBC’s Law & Order

James Oberstar - U.S. Representative (D-MN)

Jerry Orbach - NBC’s Law & Order

Molly Price - NBC’s Third Watch

Jim Ramstad - U.S. Representative (R-MN)

Kim Raver - NBC’s Third Watch

Anthony Ruivivar - NBC’s Third Watch

Lynn Russell - CNN’s Headline News [emcee 1995-2000]

William Sessions - FBI Director

Skipp Sudduth - NBC’s Third Watch

John Walsh - Host of FOX’s America’s Most Wanted [emcee 1994-Present]

Jason Wiles - NBC’s Third Watch

Willie Williams - Los Angeles Police Chief

Proceeds from this event benefit the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Rights Center, the Police Research and Education Project (PREP), NAPO’s 501 (c)(3) educational organization.