Jim Crawford Founder’s Award

There is no more understatement that could be made than to say that Jim Crawford is a legend in Minnesota law enforcement.  Jim has done as much for the profession as anyone in our state’s history and arguably has done more to honor fallen officers and advocate for the survivors left behind than anyone else in the country.

Most people know that Jim was the long-time Public Safety Director for the Golden Valley Police Department.  What many may not know is that Jim also served as the Warden for the Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility.  He obtained both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and spent many years as a criminal justice professor at North Hennepin Community College and Metropolitan State University.

In 1974, Jim knew that there was more that needed to be done to serve police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty and created MN LEMA.  His vision continues to be at the heart of what the organization strives for – To help keep alive the memories of those officers who had fallen in the line of duty, as well as recognizing and supporting the families left behind.

For 48 years, Jim has tirelessly fought for and advocated at State and Federal levels, for the officers who have not only died in the line of duty.  Beginning in 1977, he gave leadership to LEMA assisting with supporting officer funerals.  In addition, he spearheaded the construction of our first Police Memorial, which was located inside a concourse at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, and later assisted in getting the Memorial moved to its current location at the base of the State Capital Mall.  He worked to fund scholarships for the children of fallen officers, and later campaigned at the Capital to get legislation passed to provide college educations to the children of our Minnesota heroes.  Other accomplishments of Jim’s leadership to LEMA include:

• Worked with others to form the LEMA Honor Guard in 1991, which took on the responsibility of funeral service planning for fallen officers.
• Formation of an annual Ecumenical Service that was held annually to remember our fallen officers and their families.
• Formation of the May 15^th Police Week Candlelight Vigil at the MN Peace Officer Memorial on the grounds of the MN State Capital each year
• Establishment of a short-term financial assistance program for families of officers killed in the line-of-duty.
• Creation of a scholarship program for those not covered by the State provided college fund.
• Creation of a program to provide skilled, emergency counseling to families after the death of a family member-killed in the line of duty.
• Meets with the officer’s families to present the death benefit package post-officers death.
• Worked with the Minnesota Bar Association to develop a “Wills for Heroes” program.
• Worked with the Governor’s Office who sponsors a luncheon each May to honor peace officers, fire fighters or EMS members who have died in the line of duty.
• Established a program to deliver wreaths to families of fallen officers at Christmas time.
• Developed a Shop with a Cop program for surviving children of fallen officers near Christmas.
• Worked with the State to provide much needed maintenance and repairs to the Police Memorial twice. (The State had no money for these expensive repairs and legislation was required to appropriate the funds)
• Has testified at multiple Senate and House hearings on benefits for fallen officers/families.

In addition to founding LEMA, Jim also founded (& still serves as the President of) the Minnesota Association for Injured Peace Officers.  There are hundreds of other small things that Jim has done to further LEMA, and law enforcement in general, and Jim continues to do that every day.  Jim was recognized in 2014 by KARE 11 as one of their “Eleven Who Care” award winners for his tireless work for LEMA and his founding

While countless Board Members, Honor Guard Members, volunteers, and supporters have come and gone over the years, Jim Crawford has remained the steady constant and “North Star” of the organization.  His work and contributions are immeasurable and his legacy will never be replicated.

Board Member – 1996 – 2023
President – 2007-2019
Vice-President – 2004-2007
Treasurer – 2001-2004

For over 25 years, Rogers Police Chief (ret.) Jeff Beahen has been an ongoing source of vision, inspiration, and stability to MN LEMA.  Jeff’s leadership, unending energy, and constant positivity helped lead LEMA from being a small, floundering non-profit into a financially secure organization that is highly regarding through the state of Minnesota and the country.  Jeff’s outstanding passion and mentorship has left a legacy with MN LEMA that will live on in the work of the organization forever.

Kevin has been part of the LEMA organization since he became one of the 16-original members of the LEMA Honor Guard in 1991. As one of the founding members of this prestigious team, he helped design and select their uniforms, patch and duties. The team developed a line of duty funeral protocol that became the stand for all LODD funerals to follow in MN and beyond.

As part of his duties with the honor guard, he rose through the ranks to Honor Guard Commander, and eventually retired from his HG duties in 2014 when he was elected Sheriff of Olmstead County. He then was elected to the LEMA board, serving LEMA honorably for 32 years.

During his time with LEMA Kevin has been responsible for a variety of legacy achievements. They include:

• Assisted in founding the first Honor Guard Camp in 1996
• Was one of the primary HG Camp instructors since and has assisted in training over 1,000 HG members from teams all across the USA.
• Was instrumental in developing a training relationship with the 3^rd Infantry HG Team stationed at Arlington Cemetery which allowed LEMA HG members to train annually at Arlington.
• Helped the design team push through the final production the LEMA Cassion.
• Was the bugle player at over 30 line of duty funerals.
• Participated in over 100 line of duty or law enforcement related funerals in and around MN.
• Assisted in the dedication service of the Police Memorial in St. Paul in 1995.
• Was instrumental in the reconstruction of the Police Memorial beginning in 2019. He was the principal representative who assisted in lobbying for repair funds, attending countless planning and conduction meetings at the Capital, and personally and painstakingly oversaw the reconstruction process, catching construction oversights and engineering errors, resulting in a memorial which will withstand time, while representing the legacies of our fallen warriors, in the most exemplary fashion possible.
• Was key in assisting Sheriff Scott Rose a local legislator with the final design license plate design after they were willing to bring forward, after years of rejection, the LEMA license plate bill, which finally passed. The result was a sustainable source of funding for years to come, resolving LEMA’s primary financial concerns.
• Helped establish a regional Police Memorial in Olmstead County.
• Coordinated the annual Standing of the Guard at the Police Memorial 1992- 2014 on May 14^th and May 15^th.
• Wrote the script and steps for the wreath laying at the Police Memorial.
• Wrote the script and steps for the thin blue line duties at the Police Memorial.
• Coordinated a LEMA HG Team who participated in the National HG Competition in Washington DC.
• Assisted in developing the original Line of Duty Funeral Packet distributed to law enforcement agencies during a LODD.
• Was critical in developing long term relationships with local HG teams who are now integral to LODD funerals here and outside MN.