The Professional Policemen's Protective Association of Milwaukee (PPPA) is a voluntary benefit organization open to all city police officers. It was founded in 1909 to protect members in civil suits stemming from false arrests or other duty-related actions. Its original name was the Policemen's Protective Association of the City of Milwaukee.
Since its formation, the association has steadily broadened its rolls and increased services and benefits provided to members. In the early years, activity was primarily restricted to paying legal fees for members involved in court actions. Subsequently, the PPPA began paying judgments and penalties arising from court actions, paying for damages incurred in the line of duty to officers' uniforms and personal property, and offering group life and health insurance to members. The association has also adopted other characteristics of the modern labor union. It actively lobbies in Milwaukee's city government and the state legislature, handles members' grievances against the police department, and is the collective bargaining unit for the city's patrol officers. Along these lines the association authorized a widely publicized limited work stoppage in 1969 known as the “blue flu.”
