About Us
Amigos en Azul
AMIGOS EN AZUL.Amigos En Azul (AEA) is a police fraternal organization within the Austin, Texas, police department (APD) and was formed to act as a community liaison between APD and Austin’s Hispanic communities, to recruit Hispanic police officers, and to promote equitable treatment of Hispanic officers at APD. The organization’s motto is “Dedicated to a better community.”
The group was established in 1982 by APD officers Alvaro Hernandez, Joe Maciel, Billy Sifuentes, Mel Villanueva, and Roger Sanchez, who saw the need to improve their department’s image and working relationship with the Hispanic community and its own Hispanic police officers. It was chartered in 1984 as a not-for-profit organization.
Amigos en Azul holds social events, fundraisers, and scholarships. From a single $200 college scholarship, the organization’s scholarship project grew to 12 $1,500 scholarships annually and had awarded more than $200,000 to local students by 2022. Amigos en Azul also provides funds to surviving relatives of deceased members.
Since incorporation, AEA has been affiliated with several national organizations, including the National Latino Police Officers Association, the Texas Hispanic Police Officers Association, and the Coalition of Hispanic American Police Associations.
Meet Our president
Officer Vanessa Jimenez is our newly elected president for Amigos en Azul. Officer Jimenez has been with Austin Police Department for 10 years , she is an Army Veteran and has a 14 year old son. She is the first female president for the organization .
Our Team
Amigos is made up of dedicated individuals who are passionate about making a difference in the world. From our volunteers to our board members, everyone at Amigos en azul is committed to our mission and the children we serve.
