The NTCPA By-Laws

The by-laws (revised September 1, 2010) appear in full below. You may also download a copy here.

PREAMBLE

We, the members of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association, recognizing a need for promoting crime prevention and encouraging public cooperation to reduce criminal opportunities, hereby, through a concentrated, cooperative effort, form the North Texas Crime Prevention Association, a non-profit organization, and adopt the following Constitution and By-laws.

MISSION STATEMENT

The North Texas Crime Prevention Association promotes Crime Prevention practices within the State of Texas by developing and implementing programs for the safety of our citizens, providing the most current and effective training programs for Crime Prevention practitioners, encouraging citizen involvement and participation in Crime Prevention programs and being vigilant against the ever-changing face of crime, adapting to meet the challenges.

ARTICLE I

Section 1.

Meetings

Meetings of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association will be held monthly. Time and place for said meetings will be decided by the Members.

Section 2.

Called Meetings

The President may call meetings of the Board of Directors whenever the need arises.

Section 3.

Board of Directors Makeup

The Board of Directors shall consist of elected officers and the immediate past president.

ARTICLE II

Section 1.

Membership Types

There shall be four types of membership as defined below. Dues, where applicable, shall expire at midnight on the 31st of December of each year with one exception, Dues for new members only, who join after the annual summer conference, shall continue beyond the end of the year in which they first joint NTCPA and expire at midnight on the 31st of December of the immediately following full year. Dues are not prorated for a portion of any year.

a. Active Membership: Individuals who have a concerned interest in the promotion of crime prevention in the State of Texas. Active Members shall have dual membership in the Texas Crime Prevention Association and the North Texas Crime Prevention Association. Active Members will have voting rights and may serve on committees. Dues will be announced annually at the regular November meeting. The dues amount will conform and agree with the amount set for the upcoming year by the Texas Crime Prevention Association.

b. Affiliate membership: All companies or organizations affiliated with the design, manufacture, supply or installation of security related products, all the insurance industry, banking industry, credit card companies, contractors and the building industry, or persons of other crime prevention services that have a concerned interest in the promotion of crime prevention in the State of Texas. Sponsoring Members do NOT have dual membership with both the Texas Crime Prevention Association and the North Texas Crime Prevention Association. Dues for the upcoming year will be announced annually at the regular November meeting. Representatives of these companies or organizations will not have voting rights, but may serve on committees.

c. Honorary Membership: All persons who, in the opinion of the Members, have rendered outstanding service to the North Texas Crime Prevention Association effort. Honorary Members will not have voting rights, but may serve on committees. There are no annual dues.

d. Life Membership: All persons who, by recommendation of the Membership Committee and by vote of the Members, have shown outstanding service to the Association. Life Members shall enjoy all the rights of Active Membership of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association. There shall be no dues for Life Members of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association. Life Members shall retain this status until it is removed by vote of the Members. Life Membership conferred by the Texas Crime Prevention Association shall be honored by the North Texas Crime Prevention Association.

Section 2.

Application for Membership

a. Application for Active and Affiliate Membership shall be submitted to the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd Vice President will refer the application to the Board for a decision of acceptance or denial.

b. Application for Honorary Membership shall be submitted in writing by a member in good standing to the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd Vice President will refer the application to the Board for recommendations. Honorary Membership must be earned by a two thirds vote of the Active Members present at the monthly general membership meeting.

c. Application for membership may be held for 30 days before the Board renders its decision of acceptance or denial. If any application for membership is denied either by vote of the Board or the General Membership, the applicant shall be notified by the 2nd Vice President prior to the next monthly general membership meeting.

Section 3.

Suspension

a. The Board of Directors shall have the power to exclude, suspend or expel any member for any conduct deemed detrimental to the interests of the Association, by a two thirds vote of the active Board members present at a Board meeting convened by the President. The decision may be appealed to the General Membership, who will have the authority to affirm or rescind the Board’s decision, by a two thirds vote of members present at the monthly general membership meeting.

b. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to remove any Board member who has been absent from two consecutive board meetings or who fails to perform the duties of their respective office as prescribed by Article IV, by a majority vote. The President, upon Board approval, shall have the authority to appoint a member in good standing, confirmed, by the Board to fulfill the duties of that office for the remainder of the term.

ARTICLE III

Section 1.

Time and Location of Meetings

The North Texas Crime Prevention Association will conduct monthly meetings. The time and place for meetings shall be selected by the Members. All members shall be notified by mail of the meeting dates and locations. Other methods of communication may also be used to ensure all members receive timely notification. The host agency will be responsible for a program or a guest speaker for the meeting unless otherwise notified by the President or 1st Vice President.

Section 2.

Conducting Business

Any business of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association Board of Directors may be conducted by mail, telephone, fax or electronic mail (e-mail), without a formal meeting. Business conducted by any method other than a regularly scheduled or specially called meeting convened by the President must be documented and submitted to the Secretary for presentation at the next scheduled Board meeting. For purposes of reaching a quorum or determining if a motion passes or fails, when methods other than regularly scheduled or specially called meetings are used to conduct business, quorums or passing/failing of motions, a quorum shall be determined in the same manner for which the item in question would be decided if it were voted upon at a regularly scheduled or specially called meeting.

Section 3.

Member in Good Standing

A member in good standing shall be considered as a/an 1.) Active member, 2.)  Affiliate member, 3.) Honorary member or 4.) Life member, as previously defined, who is fully paid and current on dues and membership fees and who is not currently under suspension, as previously defined, or being considered by the Board of Directors for suspension. All applicable dues must be fully paid as reflected by the records maintained by the then current Treasurer of NTCPA.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1.

Board of Directors - Composition

The Board of Directors of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association shall consist of a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Civilian-at-Large and Sergeant-at-Arms. These officers, with the exception of the Sergeant-at-Arms, shall be elected from the Active Membership by a majority vote of the Active Members present and voting or voting by absentee ballot at the November monthly meeting. The Board of Directors shall hold office for two year terms, or until their respective successors have been duly selected to take their place. No more than two individuals from the same agency or firm shall be elected or appointed to the Board. To be eligible to seek office, a candidate must meet the following criteria:
a. Be a member in good standing of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association for at least one year.
b. Have attended a minimum of one half of the regularly scheduled monthly meetings in the year prior to seeking office.

Section 2.

Duties of the President

a. The President shall preside at all meetings of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association.
b. The President shall be executive head of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association and shall exercise general supervision over its affairs, and shall be responsible for the enforcement of these By-laws.
c. The President shall keep the Membership fully informed of the activities of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association.
d. The President shall approve all expenditures not to exceed $250.00. Expenditures in excess of $250.00 must gain approval by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors.
e. The President shall appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms to fulfill the duties of that office for one calendar year.
f. The President shall have the power to appoint chairpersons and members of all committees.
g. The President shall vote only in the case of a tie vote.
h. The President shall represent the North Texas Crime Prevention Association at public functions and be responsible for public relations.
i. The President shall be the regional representative to all Texas Crime Prevention Association board meetings, or shall assign an appropriate delegate.
j. The President shall have the authority to delegate any of these duties and responsibilities.
k. The President shall place on each General Membership monthly meeting agenda a line item titled “Consent Agenda.” The Consent Agenda shall consist of the minutes of any and all preceding minutes since the last consent agenda, any and all treasurer reports since the last consent agenda and such other items as he/she may deem appropriate. A verbal reading of these reports is not required unless called for by a member in good standing present at the meeting. The President shall request that a motion by moved by a member in good standing approving the Consent Agenda. Upon motion moved, seconded and favorably voted upon by a quorum of the members in attendance, the Consent Agenda shall be approved.

Section 3.

Duties of the 1st Vice President

a. The 1st Vice President shall assist the President.
b. In the absence or disability of the President, the 1st Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President.
c. The 1st Vice President shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and conducting a minimum of 16 hours of TCLEOSE training during each calendar year at no charge to North Texas Crime Prevention Association members.

Section 4.

Duties of the 2nd Vice President

a. The 2nd Vice President shall assist the President and the 1st Vice President.
b. In the absence or disability of the 1st Vice President, the 2nd Vice President shall perform all the duties of the 1st Vice President.
c. The 2nd Vice President shall be the membership chairperson, responsible for monitoring current membership, presenting membership applications to the Board for approval and apprising the Texas Crime Prevention Association monthly of new memberships and renewals, in accordance with Texas Crime Prevention Association procedures. The 2nd Vice President will obtain necessary funds from the Treasurer monthly to pay Texas Crime Prevention Association membership dues.

Section 5.

Duties of the 3rd Vice President

a. The 3rd Vice President shall assist the President and the 2nd Vice President.
b. The 3rd Vice President shall be the communications chairperson, responsible for maintaining current contact information for all members.
c. The 3rd Vice President shall be responsible for the monthly meeting notice and quarterly newsletter.

Section 6.

Duties of the Secretary

a. The Secretary shall maintain a written record of all regularly scheduled or specially called meetings, whether held at a specified location or by mail, phone, fax or electronic mail (e-mail). Within twenty-one calendar (21) days of the day in which the meeting was held, the Secretary shall make these written minutes available to the members. Availability will be considered sufficient when said minutes are posted on the NTCPA website. Availability will also be considered sufficient when a copy of said minutes are held in-hand by the Secretary or their designee, at the subsequent regularly scheduled or specially called General Membership meeting. A formal reading of the minutes at meetings shall not be required, unless a member in good standing requests that they be read.
b. The Secretary shall notify members of their election to office, keep a roster of members, and perform other duties as may be assigned by the President.
c. The Secretary shall furnish the President with a list of unfinished business.

Section 7.

Duties of the Treasurer

a. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association as directed or approved by the President.
b. The Treasurer shall keep and preserve proper vouchers and books of account of for the North Texas Crime Prevention Association, which shall be open to inspection and which shall be subject to audit at any time by an auditing committee duly appointed by the President.
c. The Treasurer shall prepare the following written reports:

1. A reconciliation report of the prior month’s bank statement, which contains a detailed report of all deposits and disbursements during that month.
2. A report of the cash balance in all NTCPA accounts as of the end of the preceding calendar month.
3. Preceding month and the current month’s General Membership meeting.
4. Additional monthly financial reports that may be needed to properly inform the members of the financial position of NTCPA.
5. Such other monthly or annual reports as specifically called for by the President.
6. 6. All monthly reports shall be made available to the membership no later than the fourteenth (14) day of the following month. Availability will be considered sufficient when said reports are posted on the NTCPA website. Availability will also be considered sufficient when a copy of said reports are held in-hand by the Treasurer or their designee, at the subsequent regularly scheduled or specially called General Membership meeting. A formal reading of the reports at meetings shall not be required, unless a member in good standing requests that they be read.
   7. All twelve (12) of the monthly reports for the preceding calendar year, the consolidated yearend reports and any other special reports called for during the year by the President shall, no later than ten (10) days prior to the February General Membership meeting, be presented to the Audit Committee and the President.

Section 8.

Duties of the Civilian-at-Large

a. The Civilian-at-Large shall take primary responsibility as liaison between the North Texas Crime Prevention Association and civilian organizations.
b. The Civilian-at-Large shall actively represent the interests of the civilian component of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association Membership at all North Texas Crime Prevention Association functions.
c. The Civilian-at-Large shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Section 9.

Duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms

a. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall assist the President and shall conduct any business as directed by the President.
b. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for peace and order during all business sessions of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order and the Constitution and By-laws of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association.
c. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall regulate and control entrance to all sessions of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association to assure proper order is maintained.
d. In the absence of the appointed Sergeant-at-Arms, the President shall appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms for that meeting.

Section 10.

Term of Office

a. The term of office for members of the Board of Directors shall be two years, from January 1st of the first calendar year, to December 31st of the second calendar year that follows the preceding November election. With the exception of the President, there shall be no limit to the number of terms a person may be elected. The term of office for the President shall be limited to no more than two consecutive terms (i.e. – two, two year terms). Should the President be elected or appointed to complete the remaining term of a previous President who vacates the office for any reason, the two consecutive term limitation shall not commence during the remaining time of that election or appointment. It shall commence beginning with the election to which the person is elected to the first full two year term.
b. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be appointed by the President on or before January 1st of the year following the election of the President. The term of office shall run concurrent with the office of President, taking office on January 1st and normally serving during the two year term of that President’s election. The Sergeant-at-Arms however serves at the pleasure and discretion of the President. As such, the Sergeant-at-Arms may be removed by the President at any time, and another person appointed to complete the remainder of the term of office.
c. Board members terms shall be staggered. The President, 2nd Vice President, Treasurer and Civilian-at-Large shall be elected at the General Membership meeting held in November of years ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8 and 0), to serve for two years beginning January 1st of the year immediately following the election. The 1st Vice President, 3rd Vice President, and Secretary shall be elected at the General Membership meeting held in November of years ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9), to serve for two years beginning January 1st of the year immediately following the election.

ARTICLE V

Section 1.

Standing Committees

a. An Audit Committee shall be appointed by the President prior to the end of the fiscal year consisting of three members whose duty it shall be to examine the financial report made to the President and all the accounts of financial transactions made by the Treasurer. They shall attach to the financial report a statement that they have examined the accounts and submit a written report of their findings.
b. A By-laws Committee shall be appointed by the President whose duty it shall be to review all proposed amendments to the North Texas Crime Prevention Association By-laws and make recommendations to the General Membership. This committee shall annually review current North Texas Crime Prevention Association By-laws to ensure that amendments are added, deleted or changed as they are voted on by the Membership. The committee shall have no less than three members.

Section 2.

Other Committees

Other committees may be appointed by the President as the need arises.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1.

Quorum

Fifteen Active Members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.

Section 2.

Transacting Business

A majority vote of quorum present and voting shall be sufficient for the transaction of any business.
Section 3

Absentee Voting

a. Absentee voting will be permitted and officially accepted if the absent member meets the following conditions:
1. The member must be current as a paid member with voting rights.
2. The member must have attended a minimum of two of the last six monthly meetings.
3. The member must have received a minimum of three days prior notice on each matter to be voted on.
b. Members in attendance who must leave the meeting before votes are actually cast may also submit absentee ballots.
c. Each member (absent or present but leaving early) casting absentee ballots must sign each ballot submitted to ensure proper control and accurate counting of official votes.
d. Absentee ballots shall be placed in a sealed envelope inscribed with the words “Official Ballot,” and mailed or hand delivered to the Secretary of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association. Envelopes will remain sealed until the time of voting.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1.

By-Laws and Rules

The Active Membership shall have the power to make such By-laws and rules as are necessary to regulate the affairs and business of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association which are not inconsistent with provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or the laws of the State of Texas.

Section 2.

Amendments to By-Laws

Amendments to the By-laws must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 60 days prior to being considered for adoption.

ARTICLE VIII

Section 1.

Use of Funds

None of the funds received by the North Texas Crime Prevention Association shall be used for the private pecuniary profit of anyone connected therewith.

Section 2.

Funds Use Upon Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association, all assets of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association shall be given to the Texas Crime Prevention Association for the furthering of the concepts of crime prevention in the State of Texas. Prior to transfer of North Texas Crime Prevention Association assets, a complete audit must be conducted.

Section 3.

Rules of Order

Except as otherwise provided for in these By-laws, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the standard for Parliamentary Law in the absence of a rule governing.

 

ARTICLE IX

These written approved and adopted By-laws of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association shall be strictly adhered to. Amended and revised August, 2010.

North Texas Crime Prevention Association
BY-LAWS SIGNATURE CLAUSE
The preceding document was researched, prepared and approved by the By-laws Committee of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association, as evidenced by the signatures hereto affixed, and were presented to and approved by the Membership at a General Membership meeting on the 19th day of August, 2010, as recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

By-Law Committee Members Representing the Board of Directors:

___________________________________________
Steve Garst, Little Elm Police Department - Chairperson
By-law Committee Chairperson

___________________________________________
Tammy Snider, Plano Police Department

___________________________________________
Mark Brazelton, Gainesville Police Department

(Revision Effective Date: 09-01-2010)