The Fraternal Order of Police is an organization for Policemen, managed by Policemen actively engaged in Police Work for State, County, City, Town or Municipality.  The Cedar Lake F.O.P. is a non-profit 501(c)(8) organization of local police officers dedicated to making charitable contributions to various community organizations.

Mission Statement:

To support and defend the Constitution of the United States; to inculcate loyalty and allegiance to the United States of America; to promote and foster the enforcement of law and order; to improve the individual and collective proficiency of our members in the performance of their duties; to encourage fraternal, educational, charitable and social activities among law enforcement officers; to advocate and strive for uniform application of the civil service merit system for appointment and promotion; to support the improvement of the standard of living and working conditions of the law enforcement profession through every legal and ethical means available; to create and maintain tradition of esprit de corps insuring fidelity to duty under all conditions and circumstances; to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people we serve; to increase the efficiency of the law enforcement profession and thus more firmly to establish the confidence of the public in the service dedicated to the protection of life and property.

On May 27, 1971, at the regular meeting of the Town Board of Trustees, the Board adopted ordinance # 72, calling for the establishment of a three member Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners. The Trustees appointed Harry T. Woodburn Jr., Robert Eberle and John M. Allen to serve as the first Police Commission.

The new Police Commission was charged with the responsibility of organizing the Cedar Lake Metropolitan Police Department. The Commission held its first meeting on July 1, 1971, and the first order of business was to establish the new office of Chief of Police. The Commission appointed Edwin C. Moody Jr., a 20 year veteran of the Indiana State Police to fill the position and his salary was set at $10,500.00 annually.

At the same meeting, the Commission authorized the appointment of eight full-time police officers, one part-time police officer and six civilian staff members to operate the police department.

In 1976, Chief Moody began a campaign to seek additional officers for the police department. The department had been operating with eight officers but the Chief cited a guideline from the United States Department of Justice that recommended that a police department be staffed with at least one officer for every 500 residents. The Chief told Trustees on many occasions that the department needed at least 16 to 20 policemen to function properly. The trustees put the matter on hold until 1978, when they approved the addition to two police officer positions.

In 1984, Chief Moody was seriously injured in a traffic accident and requested leave from the department. Lieutenant James Hunley would become the Acting Chief of Police until 1985 when Chief Moody officially retired and James Hunley would become the second Chief of Police.