Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: International Union of Police Associations
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 64 of our affiliates. Next up is the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA).
Name of Union: International Union of Police Associations
Mission: The International Union of Police Associations is the only union chartered exclusively for law enforcement and law enforcement support personnel. While IUPA’s officers, active and retired law enforcement officers, fight to improve the lives of their brothers and sisters in law enforcement, IUPA works to improve legislation that protects and affects public safety officers, as well as representing the needs of law enforcement officers and support personnel, whether that be for better equipment, more staff or a fair wage.
Current Leadership of Union: Sam A. Cabral serves as international president of the IUPA. He began his law enforcement career in Defiance, Ohio, in 1965 and retired in 1991. In 1988, he was elected international vice president of the IUPA. He was then elected international secretary-treasurer two years later and was first elected international president of the IUPA in 1995.
Michael V. Crivello currently serves as the international secretary-treasurer of the IUPA, a position he was elected to in 2022. He served with the Milwaukee Police Department from 1991 through 2019.
Members Work As: Rank-and-file law enforcement officers, EMS workers, corrections officers and law enforcement support personnel.
Industries Represented: Law enforcement and related support fields.
History: IUPA began in 1954 when the union was known as the National Conference of Police Associations (NCPA). The NCPA was developed in response to the evolving demands of the law enforcement profession, especially collective bargaining and benefits.
In 1966, the NCPA amended its by-laws to allow a number of local Canadian police associations to affiliate and became known as the International Conference of Police Associations (ICPA).
It soon became apparent that police officers were in need of support and services that only a strong union with a united labor front could provide. In response to this need, the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) was created.
On Feb. 20, 1979, the IUPA was granted a charter as the first union that gave the law enforcement community an independent voice within the organized labor movement. This partnership was created to enhance the working and personal lives of law enforcement professionals across the country. That partnership has not changed.
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The IUPA helps members and their families with higher education costs through scholarships and school discount programs, as well as other benefits for financial, entertainment, health, home services and other needs. You can learn about these benefits on the IUPA Member Benefits page.
In 2009, the IUPA founded the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund (LEORF), and in 2011, the IUPA launched the first annual LEORF Golf Classic to increase support for LEORF. LEORF was created by the IUPA to assist officers or surviving spouses of officers who experience serious personal injuries on the job, as well as line-of-duty deaths. Too often, benefits from insurance and other sources take too long for those in need to receive them. LEORF aims to provide immediate assistance to get officers and their families through the first trying weeks following these disasters.
The IUPA publishes IUPA NewsWatch, Police Union News, IUPA Briefing Room, Photos of the Week and LEORF News to keep its members well-informed and to highlight members and the critical work they do. Current important news includes the upcoming 23rd IUPA Convention and Expo, where law enforcement personnel from across the nation will come together at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from Aug. 25 to 29, 2026. Details about the event and how to show support can be found on the convention website.