Retired Long Beach Police Officer and long time Director for COPS, Arnie Schmeling, was given a special honor at COPS' Board of Directors meeting in Las Vegas, October 20, 2007. Intimately involved in COPS since its incorporation in 1975, Schmeling's badge number “2434” will now don one of the two badges on COPS' official two-badge logo. The other badge's inscription “#557” belongs to COPS' first Executive Director, Bill Hemby.

“It's only fitting that Arnie Schmeling will forever be remembered at COPS by adding his badge number to our logo,” said COPS Executive Director Monty Holden. “Arnie has been an integral part of COPS for over 30 years. Inscribing his badge number on the COPS' logo is the best way to honor a man who has meant so much to COPS' rich heritage.”

Schmeling received his early education on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, having the rare distinction of being in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. He later graduated from Poly High School in Long Beach and joined the police department in 1956.Schmeling's assignments included walking a foot beat at the historic “Pike” and downtown areas, vice & narcotics, SWAT team leader and teaching arrest and control techniques,baton and physical training at the police academy for 16 years.

                                            "Arnie Schmeling and his wife Linda"

Highly decorated with medals for valor and bravery, including the prestigious Police Officer Cross for Valor awarded in 2003,Schmeling will always be remembered as a legend within the Long Beach Police Department. More than anything, he took great pride in being known as an excellent street Cop. “The only thing I cared about was being a great partner to my brothers (and sisters) on the streets,” he often says. “Too often, most of those who promote above the rank of Sergeant forget what it's like to be a real Cop.”

Former Long Beach police department officer Jack O'Neil described Schmeling as a “tough compassionate.” “Arnie was a l w a y s a b o u t extending the same courtesy to others as they extended to him” he went on to say. “There was no o n e a s compassionate as Arnie, and yet you didn't want to be on the wrong side of him if you were getting in his way of doing his sworn duty of upholding the law.”

Schmeling was elected as a Director of the Long Beach Police Officers Association in 1970, serving on the Executive Board until his retirement from LBPD in 1982. When COPS formed as a statewide law enforcement labor organization in 1975, Schmeling was one of the law enforcement labor leaders who helped pass the Police Officers Bill of Rights Act of 1976, signed by then Governor Edmond G. (Jerry) Brown. As is his style, Schmeling credits other COPS forefathers, such as Mike Tracy and Tim Chamberlain (Long Beach POA) and Jerry Crowley and Bill Hemby (San Francisco POA) for most of the heavy lifting with the momentous bill, but those in the know say Arnie was as instrumental as anyone in getting the bill signed into law. “Arnie was as instrumental in getting the Police Officers Bill of Rights passed and signed into law as anyone,” said Bill Hemby. “His import is evidenced as he stood behind the Governor at the historic bill signing ceremony.”