For two days beginning on Friday, May 31, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) is holding a convention at the Ameristar Casino Resort and Spa in St. Charles, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis).

As explained on the group’s website, the purpose of the convention is “to equip sheriffs, peace officers and public officials with the necessary information and public support to carry out their duties in accordance with their Oaths of Office.”

The CSPOA’s two-fold mission is to save America and to get enough people involved in that fight to make the dream a reality. The organization’s website describes precisely how they propose to achieve this lofty and laudable goal:

The answers lie within our grasp and come from the foundation of our country. The principles are embodied within the Declaration of Independence and outlined in the Constitution.

Yes, America is in deep, deep trouble. The good news is that there is hope and my [CSPOA founder, former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack’s] victory at the US Supreme Court proves that it only takes a few to stand to make monumental changes. We do not have to stand by and watch while America is destroyed from within. If our counties, cities, and states and all local officers keep their oaths to protect us from tyranny, we can win this battle to take our country back.

This is our plan, our goal and our quest. We are forming the Constitutional Peace Officers Association which will unite all public servants and sheriffs, to keep their word to uphold, defend, protect, preserve, and obey the Constitutions of the United States of America. We already have hundreds of police, sheriffs, and other officials who have expressed a desire to be a part of this Holy Cause of Liberty.

We are going to train and vet them all, state by state, to understand and enforce the constitutionally protected Rights of the people they serve, with an emphasis on State Sovereignty and local autonomy. Then these local governments will issue our new Declaration to the Federal Government regarding the abuses that we will no longer tolerate or accept. Said declaration will be enforced by our Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers. In short, the CSPOA will be the army to set our nation free. This will guarantee this movement remains both peaceful and effective.

To help in the arming of these sheriffs and peace officers with the information they need to stand as the last and best line of defense against the federal government’s near-constant assault on liberty and local law enforcement, the convention will feature speeches from an impressive variety of lawmen, lawmakers, lawyers, and constitutional scholars.

The invited presenters will address a wide range of issues, including the dangers of police consolidation, the federal government’s attack on the Fourth Amendment, the right of states to oppose federal encroachment on their sovereignty, nullification, the Second Amendment, and the history of the formation of the union via the Constitution.

Additionally, on Saturday, June 1, several break-out sessions will be held, giving attendees an opportunity to ask speakers specific questions on issues important to their particular jurisdictions.

Remarkably, the CSPOA is offering free registration to all public officials. All sheriffs, police officers, county commissioners, and public officials may attend all sessions of the conference without paying a fee, including a pass for spouses. Additionally, all meals will be provided for these distinguished guests.

Convention attendance is not restricted to law enforcement, however. The general public is invited to come and learn these principles of liberty, as well. There is an attendance fee of $150 per person or $200 per couple. The cost covers admittance to the conference, educational materials, and meals.

Finally, the CSPOA’s convention website makes the most convincing pitch to those concerned with the accelerating pace of the federal government’s advance on the sovereignty of states, the independence of local law enforcement, and the perpetuation of our system of limited government and individual sovereignty:

This will be your opportunity to sit spellbound as you hear from heroic sheriffs, police chiefs and constitutional scholars from across the country who are standing firm for our freedoms in the face of an overreaching, out of control federal government. Join with us in giving them support as they face increasing odds in the battle to serve the people and protect their rights.

The New American will report from the convention, including interviews with several key presenters.

Joe Wolverton, II