In 1944 five black men became the City of Miami’s’ first black patrolmen. They were denied the rights that were given to their white counterparts. One of those rights was to join the local PBA. It was with courage and tenacity that those very men decided to make history. They founded the Miami Colored Police Benevolent Association (MCPBA) in 1946.
The MCPBAs’ goals included relief of the poor, advancement of education, the erection of public buildings and monuments, lessening the burdens of government and neighborhood tensions, eliminating prejudice and discrimination, defense of human rights, combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency.
Throughout the years the organization has been faced with monumental tasks. It was evident when they took on the struggle to insure that minorities had equal rights.
The MCPBA took the City of Miami, the Fraternal Order Of Police and the PBA to Federal Court in March 1977. The court entered a Consent Decree, which regulated the hiring practices, promotional practices and record keeping practices of the police department. It was one of the MCPBAs’ finest hours.
Over the years the MCPBA continued to fight for the rights of officers and made it a priority to make the community of Miami a better place to live.
To date the MCPBA, who changed its name to the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association, has 300 members of various ethnic backgrounds and is proud to be the nation's second oldest black police officers organization.
