The Afro-American Patrolmen's League, now known as the African American Police League, was established in 1968 after Chicago police officer Edward "Buzz" Palmer witnessed the effects of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's "shoot to kill" order brought on by Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and the increase of black uprisings that followed his death.
Palmer put together a small group of people, consisting of Renault Robinson, Curtis Cowsen, Willie Ware, Jack Debonnett, Tom Mitchell, and himself, to become the Afro-American Patrolmen's League; the group, with the exception of Mitchell, was made up of police officers and was committed to defending and protecting the people in their local black communities.
The League also received grants from the Ford Foundation that allowed the members to pay for organization development training classes.
For example, after defending Reverend Jesse Jackson in a lawsuit, Mayor Daley threatened to remove the League members from their jobs, specifically Officer Palmer.
[1] Many officers experienced abuse from their colleagues; Renault "Reggie" Robinson, co-founder of the AAPL, claimed that "between 1967 and 1973 he was unjustifiably suspended more than 100 times.
Instead, the League argued that police officers should be consulted before any legislation that affects the relationship between the community and law enforcement officials is made.