The Houston Police Officers Union will again award college scholarships totaling $1,000 apiece this year to the college-aged children of its members.

The Houston Police Officers Union will again award college scholarships totaling $1,000 apiece this year to the college-aged children of its members.

The scholarships will help to pay the costs of their first semester in the fall term of 2007.

All documents and written essays must be in the office of the Education Committee by close of business at 5 p.m. Friday, May 18, 2007. There will be no exceptions!

Applicants who do not comply with all the listed criteria will have their application and documents returned. There will be no resubmissions.

To qualify for a scholarship, a student must:

• Be a dependent of an active or retired member of the HPOU in good standing
• Be a high school senior who will be entering college for the first time
• Submit the application along with a copy of his or her high school transcripts
• Submit a written essay of 750 words or less on a topic that has been selected by the HPOU Education Committee
• Have all these documents and the essay in the office of the Houston Police Officers' Union by the close of the business day on May 21, 2007

Click here to download the application (PDF).

Here is this year's essay topic:

In 1921, the first police officer killed in a vehicular pursuit happened in Fresno, California. Since that accident more than 200 law enforcement officers have lost their lives in high speed chases. Annually, 300 Americans lose their lives in high-speed pursuits. One third of that number is innocent victims (pedestrians, bicyclists or drivers and passengers in non-involved vehicles).

When do the risk of fatality or serious injury to a patrol officer, a suspect or an innocent bystander and the possibility of damages to public or private property outweigh the benefits of catching a criminal in a high-speed pursuit?

A well written document that supports your points of view should be at least 750 and no more than 1,000 words.

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