Great American Warrior: Kristen Sweaza, founder of the nonprofit Blue Wives Matter

This Great American Warrior article is brought to you by our partner, philanthropist, and LEO supporter Trudy Jacobson.

ORANGE, CA - Every police officer in the United States understands there is a real possibility that they may not return home after their tour of duty. Anything can happen: a shooting with a suspect, getting hit by a drunken driver during a routine traffic stop, or even a medical emergency can lead to death.

And the spouse of the officer understands this reality as well.

The unfortunate truth is that hundreds of police officers across America die while on duty. This is the worst-case scenario for a spouse. How can they live on? How do they pick up the pieces?

Many of the spouses do it with the aid of Kristen Sweaza, founder of the nonprofit organization Blue Wives Matter.

Kristen watched things unfold after her husband’s department lost an officer.

“My husband’s department lost an officer to a duty-related cardiac event,” Kristen told Law Enforcement Today in an exclusive interview. “After they buried their officer, there was a bit of disconnect between the widow, the three sons that he left behind, and the department.”



Kristen and her husband stepped in to help the spouse and the family regain a sense of normalcy and helped them rebuild.

“It’s been about 7 1/2 years and we're still right there with the family. The oldest was living with us recently as he was going to school,” she said.

But Kristen didn’t stop there. She realized that other spouses may be in similar positions after dealing with the death of a spouse. The thought of a spouse being alone in such circumstances was too much to bear.

That’s when Blue Wives Matter was born – and it wasn’t long before Kristen found another spouse in distress.

Kristen connected with a young woman who lost her police officer husband. But the woman was battling stage 4 breast cancer, couldn’t work, and was expected to make enormous medical insurance payments.

“They were having her pay Cobra which was over 2 grand a month. And they had her pay it the entire year up front in January. Who's going to have that kind of money? But she got it together and paid but with stage 4 breast cancer, when Cobra is up in three years, who was going to cover her? She was going to be screwed,” Kristen said.

Kristen fought tooth and nail to help the young lady. It wasn’t an easy fight either. The department refused to extend benefits and even the PBA president told Kristen there was nothing that could be done.

That didn’t stop Kristen. She, along with help from a reporter with local media, rolled up her sleeves and kept fighting.

“You know I have a mouth on me and I'm not afraid to use it and say things that maybe others won't say and call people out. And in the end, they [the department] wrote an addendum, changed the contract, and now she's covered until Medicare,” she said.

Kristen will help any spouse, anytime, and under any circumstances – like suicide.

A police widow lost her husband to suicide. The woman wanted to attend Police Week in Washington DC but wasn’t sure if she would be accepted considering that her late husband wasn’t a line-of-duty death.

Kristen reassured her and they went together.

“On May 13th I collaborated with (ret.) Sgt. John Krupinsky at Kelly’s Irish Times. We invited this widow on stage and Johnny welcomed her and made a speech about her not feeling so accepted because of the way her husband died. Well, the bar EXPLODED! There were shouts of acceptance, love, and cheers!” Kristen said. “She sobbed tears of joy, made an impactful and powerful speech and I think that night changed her life. She has been more positive about her future, her depression has lifted, and she plans to return to Police Week next year.”

These are just two of Kristen’s stories of how she helped spouses of fallen officers. She has helped over 300 women in various ways to help them rebuild their lives, regain a sense of purpose, and deal with their grief.

But Kristen is far from done. She continues to raise money and awareness to help spouses across the country. She understands just how much Blue Wives Matter.

A Message from our partner, LEO advocate, and philanthropist Trudy Jacobson

“Kristen is a true warrior in every sense of the word and is the embodiment of what it means to be a Great American Warrior. Her fortitude, grit, and determination are what truly sets her apart.”

To learn more about Blue Wives Matter visit www.bluewivesmatter.net and follow her organization on Instagram and Facebook. You can also donate directly to Blue Wives Matter HERE.

To learn more about LET partner and philanthropist Trudy Jacobson, visit her website www.TrudyJacobson.com