PAX Centurion - Summer 2017

Page 44 • PAX CENTURION • Summer 2017 617-989-BPPA (2772) The Boston Police Relief Association By P.O. Robert E. Anthony, BPD Historian T he Boston Police Relief Association was established in 1873 for the welfare of the officers of the Boston Police Department and to provide assistance for police officer’s widows and orphans. Most officers might not know that the Boston Police Relief Association receives no money from the Boston Police Department to fund the expenses associated with theAnnual Boston Police Ball/Awards Banquet. Annual dues that are collected from our members (currently only $40 per year) are also used to pay for flowers and get-well baskets that are sent to our sick or injured members. The Relief Association also has a life insurance benefit for officers who have served the required 30 years of $1,300. The Relief Association also runs the quarterly blood banks at headquarters, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, and also organizes and runs the annual Boston Police Memorial Mass on the first Sunday in June of each year. The “Policemen’s Ball,” as it is called, is run each year and has been held at various locations in Boston. The old Boston Music Hall (currently the OrpheumTheater) and the old Mechanic’s Hall (originally located at HuntingtonAvenue andWest Newton Streets) hosted some of our biggest events where over 20-25 thousand would sometimes attend for the cost of a (then) $2.00 a ticket (which included admission for a “lady friend” in the $2.00 cost). The Boston Garden has also hosted the ball in the past. The costs to the BPRA of hosting this ball has (most recently) exceeded over $40,000. It is our desire to host the annual event within the City’s borders, but increasing costs have forced the Relief Association each year to find the most economical venue in order to keep ticket prices affordable for police officers and their families. Many tickets for officers who are actual recipients of departmental awards and their family members, as well as numerous honored guests and surviving family members of officers killed in the line of duty are provided free of charge by the Boston Police Relief Association. The history of theAnnual Ball is well-established. In the early days, the department would send a drill team to entertain the guests, and that would be followed by ballroom dancing and live bands. The relief in the early days also was a place that you could come for a mortgage, but the by-laws (and banking rules and regulations) have changed over the years and that is no longer allowed. As you can see, we try to raise money from outside sources to help with our budget, but again no money is given to the organization from the Boston Police Department or City of Boston. The Police Department has a committee that goes over all the commendations to see which ones will receive a medal at the end of the year, but the BPRA only has one member serving on the board and therefore does not decide who will receive recognition or medals at the annual ball. As the oldest Police organization in the United States many police organizations have copied our policies and our protocols on running a very successful Awards Banquet/Ball. Members of all our committees stand ready to make sure everything is in place for all our members.