"Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association: Embracing Recognition"
The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), a right-wing sheriffs group founded in 2011, is gaining acceptance across the United States. The group teaches elected sheriffs to refuse to enforce any law they deem unconstitutional or unjust, including gun control laws, COVID-19 mandates, and alleged election fraud. The CSPOA has spread its ideology through trainings, rallies, and meetings in at least 30 states, with formal trainings approved for officers' continuing education credits in six states. Legal experts warn that such training can undermine democratic processes and contribute to a broader insurrectionist ideology. At least 69 sheriffs nationwide have been identified as members or supporters of the group, and some counties have considered resolutions empowering sheriffs to refuse to enforce laws they interpret as unconstitutional. Critics argue that the group's sympathies for right-wing, white-nationalist extremist causes make its ideas dangerous.
