Sgt. James Crowley made a surprise appearance at the Fraternal Order of Police's national conference in Long Beach, Calif., thanking the organization for its public support, following his arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates in late July.

The arrest, which drew criticism from President Obama and sparked a national debate about racial profiling, came after a 911 caller reported a man breaking into a house in Cambridge, Mass.

At a morning ceremony today, Crowley offered brief remarks thanking the FOP, which reports to have 325,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges across the country. The group, according to its website, is "committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those we serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation."

Following the morning ceremony, Crowley told POLICE Magazine he has been focusing on re-establishing his routine as an administrative sergeant with the Cambridge Police Department since returning to his agency a week ago.

"The past week has been me getting back to work," Crowley said, as he left the event without speaking to reporters. "Just going back to doing my job."

The FOP's five-day event in Long Beach is the organization's national conference that occurs every other year. It's the 59th national conference. Attendees included patrol officers, police chiefs, administrators, sheriffs, training officers, fleet managers, federal officers, correction officers and procurement staff.