Preamble

The AACA is a 501(c)(6) organization comprised of law enforcement personnel, criminal justice personnel and those who have an interest in crime analysis. Crime Analysis is the identification, analysis, and reporting of methods, patterns and trends in criminal activity. Activities of the Association include: crime analysis information sharing, establishing crime analysis standards and goals; providing instruction on crime analysis theory and practice throughout Arizona.

Article I: Name

The name of the organization will be the Arizona Association of Crime Analysts (AACA).

Article II: Purpose

A.    Mission Statement: The Arizona Association of Crime Analysts is a forum for advancing the utility and function of the crime analysis discipline through the exchange of ideas and information in an open, honest, and professional manner.

B.    To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas pertaining to crime analysis.

C.    To encourage criminal justice agency involvement in the sharing of crime analysis information.

D.    To provide an effective means of determining and expressing the collective views of Arizona crime analysis practitioners on crime analysis needs.

E.    To focus attention on local, regional, and state goals and issues relating to crime analysis.

F.    To provide education in the areas of crime analysis theory and practice.

G.    To provide a continuous liaison between the AACA and concerned partners in the interest of crime analysis.

H.    To provide the expertise necessary to commence and sustain a statewide crime analysis program, thereby benefiting all citizens of Arizona through the analysis of crime.

Article III: Membership

A.    Membership - AACA will offer two categories of membership, Regular Membership and Associate Membership and shall be referred to as 'Regular' and 'Associate'.  AACA membership is good for the current calendar year, starting January 1^st and ending December 31^st.

B.    Regular Membership - All employees of Arizona criminal justice agencies are eligible to apply for Regular membership in the AACA. In addition, volunteer personnel of those agencies as well as individuals affiliated with criminal justice agencies are encouraged to participate in the AACA and may also apply.  Regular members have the following privileges:

1.     To vote for elected positions and any other matter that may require a vote, such as revisions to by-laws, expenditures outside of the regular course of business, training selection, etc.
2.     To run for an AACA Executive Board position during elections.
3.     To serve on an AACA committee under the direction of the Executive Board.
4.     To attend all quarterly AACA and Executive Board meetings.
5.     To have the opportunity for free and/or discounted educational opportunities, when available.
6.     To have access to publications or research produced by AACA.
7.     To have access to both the general “AACA” and “AZTAN” listservs (see Article XI).

C.    Associate Membership - All Arizona professionals associated with law enforcement who are vendors, students, instructors teaching crime analysis related courses or non-law enforcement people interested in crime analysis are eligible to apply for Associate membership in the AACA.  Associate members shall not have the right to cast ballots on any matter pertaining to the AACA or hold a position on the Executive Board or any committee.  Associate members have the following privileges:

1.     To attend all quarterly AACA and Executive Board meetings.
2.     To have the opportunity for free and/or discounted educational opportunities, when available (unless law enforcement sensitive).
3.     To have access to publications or research produced by AACA (when not law enforcement sensitive).
4.     To have access to the general “AACA” listserv (see Article XI).

D.    Application for Membership - Individuals seeking membership in the AACA should visit the AACA website to determine if they can benefit from participation in this organization. Regular and Associate member applications are subject to review and approval by a consensus of the current AACA Executive Board.  The Executive Board reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant and to review the current status of any individual member at any time.

E.    Membership Dues – Regular and Associate members are required to fill out an application and pay dues each year in order to be considered in good standing. 

1.     Annual dues will be $40 for Regular members and $20 for Associate members.
2.     A grace period will be offered for payment of dues until January 31^st.
3.     Dues paid between November 1^st and December 31^st of the current calendar year will carry-over into the following calendar year and remain in effect.  (Change effective in membership year 2020)
4.     Dues will not be prorated or refunded.
5.     AACA membership is granted to the individual, not the agency.
a.     Regular membership will transfer with the member if they switch to a new Arizona criminal justice agency.
b.     Members must notify the Executive Board regarding changes in employment in order to stay current and active.
c.     The Executive Board has the right to review any appeals on a case by case basis.
6.     Members of the Executive Board shall be exempt from paying dues during their term in office.

F.    Membership Termination - The Executive Board will investigate all allegations of misconduct (see Article IV, D). If it is determined that any member has violated the terms contained within these by-laws, the general membership may remove that member from the AACA. The membership status of any individual who departs or alters their affiliation with law enforcement or criminal justice agency is subject to review by the Executive Board. In addition, the membership status of any individual is subject to review at any time by the Executive Board.

Article IV: Executive Board

A.    The Executive Board shall include elected and appointed regular members in good standing and consist of the offices of: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Member-at-Large and Web Designer. The Executive Board shall meet at the direction of the President or upon recommendation by a majority of the Executive Board to consider business matters or activities of the AACA. Members of the Executive Board shall retain oversight and administration over various functions such as expenditure of funds necessary to carry out AACA priorities, organizing general and special meetings and establishing partnerships with other non-profit organizations. 

B.     Executive Board meetings shall require a quorum of two members. Consensus will be used to decide issues. In the event an issue cannot be decided by the Executive Board, the Member-at-Large shall present the issue to the Regular membership via the AZTAN Listserv.  At least one Board member is required to attend every quarterly meeting, or a meeting shall not be held.

C.     The Executive Board is empowered to investigate or cause to be investigated the actions of any AACA member for allegations of misconduct. If misconduct is found, the Regular membership of the AACA has the power to remove any member. A member may appeal his or her action to the general membership within 60 days.

Article V: Election and Appointment of Officers

A.    Terms – President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary are elected positions.  Member-at-Large and Web Designer are appointed by elected positions.  All positions shall serve a term of office for two years. 

B.    Nominations – Nominations for the offices of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be made beginning 30 days prior to the last meeting of the calendar year. Nominations can be solicited by the current Executive Board via email, the website and the listserv.  All nominees must be Regular members in good standing to accept nominations and run for office. There shall be no limit to the number of Regular members who may be nominated per office.

C.    Election Process – The election of Regular members in good standing for the positions of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be held in the two months leading up to the February meeting. Elections will be held every year with bi-annual rotating terms.  The elected positions of President and Treasurer will occur on the same year, followed the next year by Vice-President and Secretary.  By way of this 2019 by-law change, the 2020 election will be for the positions of President, Treasurer and appointment of Member-At-Large to follow.  The positions of Vice President, Secretary and appointed Web Designer fall under the “grandfather clause” that extends their terms to the 2021 election.   The election will be determined by anonymous ballot cast online by current Regular members via the AACA website.

D.    Appointment of Member-at-Large – At least one Member-At-Large shall be appointed by the elected members of the Executive Board (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer). This appointment shall occur within 30 days of the election results for President and Treasurer being finalized.  The Executive Board can solicit interested members via email, the listserv and the website.  The Member-at-Large must be a Regular member in good standing. 

E.    Appointment of Web Designer – One Web Designer shall be appointed by the elected members of the Executive Board (President, Vice- President, Secretary, and Treasurer).  This appointment shall occur within 30 days of the election results for Vice-President and Secretary being finalized.  The Executive Board can solicit interested members via email, the listserv and the website.  The Web Designer must be a Regular member in good standing. 

F.    No more than one elected or appointed office may be held at any one time by any individual Regular member.

G.   No more than two elected or appointed offices may be held by Regular members of one criminal justice agency.

H.    Resignation or Removal – In the event that any of the Executive Board positions become vacated, the remaining Executive Board shall appoint a Regular member in good standing to fill that position for the remainder of the term.

Article VI: Duties of the Officers

A.    President - The President shall have the following responsibilities:

1.     Preside at general membership meetings of the AACA and act as Chairperson of the Executive Board.
2.     Prepare the agenda for all Executive Board meetings.
3.     Solicit and appoint members of all standing committees and be responsible to the Executive Board for the proper functioning of all committees.
4.     Act as a representative of the AACA to the broader criminal justice community.

B.    Vice-President - The Vice-President shall have the following responsibilities:

1.     Serve in the absence of the President.
2.     Assist the President in the AACA activities and managing projects.
3.     Assist the Secretary with correspondence efforts to members.
4.     Coordinate quarterly meetings and special trainings for the AACA.

C.    Treasurer - The Treasurer shall have the following responsibilities:

1.     Receive and process membership dues and maintain the official membership roster of the AACA.
a.     Subscribe new members to the “AACA” and/or “AZTAN" Listservs, as appropriate.
b.     Assist the Web Designer with maintaining listserv users and moderating posts for content.
2.     Update the Arizona Corporation Commission annually with elected Executive Board members and file the annual report.
3.     File with the IRS each year in order to maintain Federal tax-exempt status.
4.     Maintain financial records for the AACA by preserving and maintaining a ledger.
                 i.    Write checks and approve purchases with the AACA’s debit card.
                 ii.    Provide regular financial updates to the Executive Board.
5.    At least two other Executive Board members should remain on the AACA bank account and have permission to sign checks and disperse funds in the Treasurer’s absence.
6.     Participate in all committees de facto that requires spending AACA funds.

D.    Secretary - The Secretary shall have the following responsibilities:

1.     Record, keep on file, and distribute the minutes of all proceedings of the AACA.
2.     Preserve all books, papers, electronic records and property belonging to the AACA.
3.     Communicate ongoing Executive Board initiatives with the membership and provide notification regarding upcoming meetings and/or training opportunities.

E.    Member-At-Large - The Member-At-Large shall have the following responsibilities:

1.     Attend regular board meetings, special meetings as scheduled, and quarterly AACA meetings.
2.     Represent the general membership on issues of interest or concern to the AACA.
3.     Assist with conferences, special projects, meeting planning, publications, training, website contributions and other duties as assigned.

F.    Web Designer - The Web Designer shall have the following responsibilities: 

1.     Attend regular Board meetings; special meetings as scheduled; and quarterly AACA meetings.
2.     Administer the AACA's official website (www.aacaonline.org) and have primary responsibility for regular website updates and maintenance.
a.     Post regular updates, announcements, current meeting information, election results, and post-meeting surveys.
b.     Create new sections on the website as needed (annual conferences, training classes, etc.).
3.     Assist the Treasurer with maintaining listserv users and moderating posts for content.
4.     Coordinate with the webhosting company and notify the AACA Board with updates regarding contracts and renewal fees.

Article VII: Meetings

A.    Meetings will be held quarterly, beginning with the February meeting, at the time and location designated by the board and/or membership. Notification of meeting dates and sites will be communicated to members via the website and listserv.

B.    Attendance at quarterly meetings for non-AACA members must be requested and approved by the AACA Executive Board prior to the day of the meeting.

Article VIII: Decision-Making Procedure

A.    General issues will be decided by consensus of the Regular membership.

B.    Voting will be used for AACA elections and any other issue deemed necessary by the Executive Board (see Article V, Section C).

Article IX: Amendments to the By-Laws

A.    All amendments and changes to the AACA by-laws will be directed to the Executive Board, who shall have such proposed amendments written and submitted to the Regular membership.

B.    Adoption of amendments to the by-laws requires a majority vote conducted through online balloting.

Article X: General

A.    The AACA is a non-profit organization that is exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Service.    

B.    Upon dissolution of the AACA, the Executive Board shall disseminate and/or dispose of AACA business documents.

C.    The AACA shall not align itself or publicly support any one political party or its candidates to achieve its goals.

D.    No member shall use the name of AACA by written or verbal correspondence that would imply that the person is speaking on behalf of or being endorsed by the AACA without the approval of the Regular membership.

E.    Information sharing within the AACA is strongly encouraged. However, the nature and/or sensitivity of the information being disseminated should be carefully considered. All responsibility for the sharing of information within the AACA remains with the individual member and should be weighed with the policies of the originating law enforcement/criminal justice agencies and the individual's professional discretion.

Article XI: Listservs

A.    The AACA shall maintain two listservs; a general listserv (also known as “AACA”) for Regular and Associate members and a tactical listserv (also known as “AZTAN”) for Regular members only. 

B.    The General “AACA” Listserv (AACA@list.aacaonline.org) shall be used for general AACA announcements; meeting information; training and conference events and information exchanges amongst the AACA Board and the entire membership. The General “AACA” Listserv should not be used for Law Enforcement sensitive information.

C.    The “AZTAN” Listserv (aztan@list.aacaonline.org) may be used by Regular Members for voting and sharing Law Enforcement sensitive information.  Responsibility for sharing sensitive information with the “AZTAN” Listserv remains with the individual Regular Member and the decision to post information should be carefully considered and weighed against the policies of the originating agency.

D.    Upon initiating annual membership in the AACA; the Treasurer shall communicate sign-up instructions for one or both listservs to each member once eligibility is determined and membership is approved.

E.    Additional listservs that contribute to the AACA’s mission may be created and maintained by the Executive Board.  Such listservs will be specific in nature and may be open only to certain members.  Members who post content to these additional lists are responsible for the information and should do so in accordance within their individual agency’s policies.   

Revised August 2019, passed by majority vote October 2019, effective November 2019
2018-2019 AACA Executive Board

Download a PDF of the by-laws.