The origin of Community Outreach Promoting Safety and Security (COPSS) is the Committee on Port Safety and Security, organized in October of 2004. The Committee was founded by Lonna Calhoun, an elected board member of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, as an ad hoc Neighborhood Council committee as part of the Los Angeles City government body. The mission of this Committee was to identify and address the safety and security of Harbor Area community stakeholders.