Featured App: DEA NYPD by the Detectives’ Endowment Association
The gold shield of a New York City Police Detective is one of the most recognized symbols in law enforcement. The union that represents those detectives has been doing so for more than a century, and its app puts the union’s news, events and benefits information in members’ hands. The DEA NYPD app is for “active and retired New York Police Department Detectives to view news, events, benefits information, resource documents and more.” It is built with AppPresser.
In this featured app spotlight, we take a closer look at the team behind DEA NYPD, what the app does, who it serves, and why it is such a strong example of what happens when a WordPress site and a mobile app work together.
Who Is Behind The Detectives’ Endowment Association
The Detectives’ Endowment Association, Inc., known as the DEA, is the union for active and retired New York Police Department detectives, headquartered at 26 Thomas Street in Manhattan and online at nycdetectives.org. It is one of the NYPD’s three major police unions, alongside the Police Benevolent Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association, and represents approximately 18,000 active and retired detectives. A 2024 Congressional Record tribute described it as the largest detectives’ union in the world.
The DEA was formed in 1917, first as a fraternal organization and then as a labor union. It incorporated in the City and State of New York in December 1925, and in August 1963 it formally gained independent collective bargaining status as the exclusive representative of NYPD detectives, negotiating wages, hours, working conditions, health benefits and pensions. In 1979, it separated its health benefits operation from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. Beyond bargaining, the union oversees health and welfare funds and an annuity fund and supports the DEA Widows’ and Children’s Fund, its not for profit charity.
The DEA is led by its Board of Officers. Michael J. Palladino served as president for about 16 years before retiring in 2020, followed by Paul DiGiacomo, who led the union until his retirement from the NYPD in June 2024. Today, the DEA is led by President Scott Munro, who was appointed to the force in 1992, earned his gold shield in 1997 and First Grade in 2001, and rose through the union from delegate to Sergeant at Arms, Secretary and Vice President before being elected president in 2024.
What the DEA NYPD App Does
The DEA NYPD app is a members only resource designed around one idea: everything a detective needs from the union, on one screen. After signing in with their DEA website login, members land on a home screen with a search bar and six large tiles. A bottom bar keeps Menu, Home, Search and Profile within reach everywhere in the app.
Here are the main areas the app covers:
- Board of Officers, with the union’s leadership and how to reach them.
- Latest News, with updates and messages from the DEA.
- Event Calendar, listing union meetings, workshops, memorial masses and other DEA events.
- Health Benefits, with information on the benefits the DEA provides to members and their families.
- Resource Documents, so members can find important union documents quickly.
- Contact, with the union’s offices and phone numbers.
- The full menu, which adds the Honor Roll, the DEA Contract, the Constitution and Bylaws, Related Charities, the Police Pension Fund, the Widows’ and Children’s Fund and more.
What makes the app distinctive is its focus on security and trust. Access to information is limited to detectives with a website login, and members who need one can request it through the DEA’s support page using the tax ID they have on file with the union. That keeps member resources private while still making them available anywhere, from the squad room to home.
The design reflects the union’s identity, with the DEA’s gold shield on the sign in screen and the New York City skyline behind it. The app launched on the App Store in October 2019 and is free on iPhone and iPad for DEA members.
App Screenshots
Here is a look at the app. Use the arrows or the numbered buttons to move through the screenshots.
Test Drive the App
If you are an active or retired NYPD detective, the best way to understand DEA NYPD is to try it. Download the free app, sign in with your DEA website login and check the latest news and upcoming events.
Key Features That Stand Out
Secure Sign In
The app opens with the DEA’s gold shield over the New York City skyline and a single DEA Sign In button. Members sign in with the same email address and password they use on the DEA website, and links to Forgot Password and a Support FAQ help anyone who gets stuck. Because the app is members only, that sign in step keeps union information where it belongs.
Everything on One Screen
The home screen is a clean grid of six tiles: Board of Officers, Latest News, Event Calendar, Health Benefits, Resource Documents and Contact. A search bar sits above them, so members can type what they need instead of hunting through menus. It is a practical design for busy detectives who want answers fast.
The Full Menu
The menu brings the rest of the union together in one list, including the Honor Roll, the DEA Contract, the Constitution and Bylaws, Related Charities, Health Benefits, Resource Documents, the Police Pension Fund and the Widows’ and Children’s Fund. Members can check contract details or pension information from their phone instead of calling the office.
Event Calendar
The Event Calendar lists upcoming DEA events with the day, date and a Read More link, from Delegates’ Meetings to mindfulness workshops and annual memorial masses for fallen detectives. It keeps members connected to the union’s calendar and to each other, whether they are on active duty or retired.
At a Glance
- Free to download on iPhone and iPad for DEA members.
- Secure sign in with a DEA website login.
- Board of Officers, Latest News and an Event Calendar.
- Health benefits information and resource documents.
- The DEA Contract, Constitution and Bylaws, and pension information.
- Built in search across the app.
Who DEA NYPD Serves
The first audience is active NYPD detectives. Their schedules are demanding and unpredictable, and they need quick access to union news, contract details and benefits information without waiting for office hours. The app gives them those answers from their phone, wherever their work takes them.
The app is just as important for retired detectives, who make up a large part of the DEA’s membership. Retirees still rely on the union for health benefits, pension information and news. The app keeps them connected, wherever they live, to the DEA and to events like memorial masses and member gatherings.
Finally, the app serves detectives’ families and the union’s charitable mission. Health benefit information supports members and their families, and the Widows’ and Children’s Fund and Related Charities sections reflect the DEA’s commitment to caring for the families of detectives, including those who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
Technology Behind the App
The DEA NYPD app is powered by the Detectives’ Endowment Association’s own WordPress site, nycdetectives.org.
The app is built from WordPress, and WordPress drives it. News, events and member documents live on the WordPress site, and AppPresser carries that content straight into the app, so updates made on the site show up in the app without a separate system to manage.
Looking at the site itself, these are the platforms behind the experience:
WordPress, the foundation for the association’s website. WordPress is the open source content management system that powers more websites than any other platform.
Elementor and Elementor Pro, for page building. Elementor is a drag and drop page builder for WordPress.
Ultimate Member, for member logins. Ultimate Member is a WordPress membership and profile plugin.
WooCommerce, which runs the online store. WooCommerce is the open source ecommerce plugin that turns WordPress into an online store.- WooCommerce Memberships, for member access. WooCommerce Memberships restricts content to members.
The Events Calendar, for events. The Events Calendar is a widely used WordPress events plugin.
TablePress, for tables. TablePress is a WordPress table plugin.
AppPresser, which turns the WordPress site into the mobile app. AppPresser is a mobile app builder that creates native iOS and Android apps from a WordPress site.
What DEA NYPD Shows About AppPresser
The DEA NYPD app shows how AppPresser can turn a WordPress membership site into a secure member app. The Detectives’ Endowment Association runs its website on WordPress at nycdetectives.org, where news, events, benefits pages and documents already live, along with member logins. With AppPresser, the same WordPress site powers a native app, and members sign in with the same credentials they already use.
That matters for a union, where information has to be both accessible and protected. Members need contract details, benefit updates and meeting schedules at their fingertips, but the content is not meant for the public. AppPresser lets the DEA keep that content behind its own member login while delivering a polished mobile experience.
It also shows how well AppPresser fits large membership organizations. Unions, associations and professional groups often have thousands of members who all need the same set of resources. The DEA NYPD app is proof that a well organized WordPress site and an AppPresser app can serve a membership of thousands with a simple, reliable tool.
Congratulations to President Scott Munro, the DEA Board of Officers and the Detectives’ Endowment Association on building an app that keeps New York City’s detectives connected to their union. We are proud to have AppPresser behind it.
Do You Want Your Own App?
If your organization already runs on WordPress, launching your app with AppPresser is simple. Your app pulls directly from the website you already manage, so every update you make to your site appears in your app automatically. Ready to get started on your app right now? Check out our pricing page.
Not on WordPress yet? AppPresser can still help. Our team can move your website onto WordPress and then set up your app, so everything works together from the start. And if you need something more tailored, from custom features to a completely custom app, our custom development services have you covered.
If you need help or have any questions, tell us about your organization and what you’d like your app to do, and we’ll get back to you with a clear answer on costs and next steps.
