National Police Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, this week is National Police Week, and I rise today in honor of the service and sacrifice of law enforcement across this country.

In North Carolina, we lost 10 law enforcement officers in 2020, and we tragically lost 6, so far, in 2021. Some of these officers were victims of COVID, others were involved in car accidents, and some made the ultimate sacrifice being killed in the line of duty.

Recent tragedies in Cabarrus, Gaston, Henderson, and Watauga Counties in my State of North Carolina have been met with an outpouring of gratitude, appreciation, and love from the residents for the communities they help keep safe.

Last September, we lost Deputy Ryan Hendrix of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office after he was shot and killed responding to a break-in. Officer Hendrix was only 35 years old. He had two young children and was set to be married to his fiance the following month.

Last December, Tyler Herndon of the Mount Holly Police Department was tragically killed in the line of duty just days before his 26th birthday.

In December, Officer Jason Shuping of the Concord Police Department was shot and killed while responding to an attempted carjacking. Officer Shuping was only 25 years old. He left behind his wife Haylee, a high school sweetheart whom he had been in love with for years and married for 2. Last week, I had the honor--the sad honor--of joining Cabarrus County to commemorate Law Enforcement Day and to honor Officer Shuping's service.

Most recently, on April 28, North Carolina tragically lost two more law enforcement officers: Sergeant Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox of the Watauga County Sheriff's Office. They were conducting a welfare check that turned into a deadly, hours-long standoff. Sergeant Ward was only 36 years old. He was an 8-year law enforcement veteran. He leaves behind a wife, who was also his high school sweetheart, and two daughters. Deputy Fox was only 25 years old. He was a 2-year veteran of the Watauga Sheriff's Office, and he was a partner with a K-9 named ``Raven.'' He was engaged and soon to be married.

The people of North Carolina came together to pay their final respects to these brave officers just a little over a week ago. During the procession from Winston-Salem back to Boone, many stood on the side of the road to salute the officers and proudly wave American flags.

I told the audience and the police officers present last week in Concord that you need to know that the majority of Americans still greatly appreciate your service to law enforcement. They recognize the vast majority of men and women serving in law enforcement are good people who put their uniforms on every day, willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect us.

Being a law enforcement officer is not an easy job, and it is certainly not safe. We saw that on Capitol Hill on January 6. But being an officer is becoming harder and harder as they handle more stress, more pressure, and more responsibilities than ever before. If their jobs weren't hard enough already, there are some people, including people on Capitol Hill, who are actively demonizing all of law enforcement, arguing that they are unworthy of taxpayer funding and the people's respect.

It is no wonder why many law enforcement officers across the Nation-- officers across the Nation--have low morale. We are seeing the real- world consequences: a decrease in applications to go in academies, early exits, and more retirements. It has gotten to dangerous levels in several cities across the country.

The demonization of law enforcement will have lasting consequences, and it will ultimately make all of us less safe. This is why Congress must do everything we can to support law enforcement and to stop efforts to demean and demonize them. The best way to do that is to recognize law enforcement for their remarkable service and the dangers they face to protect us.

That is why I recently reintroduced the Protect and Serve Act. This legislation would make it a Federal crime to intentionally assault a law enforcement officer. It ensures prosecutors have every tool available to punish those who attack and target them. In 2018, the Protect and Serve Act passed the House by a vote of 382 to 35, and it had the support of every current Member of the House Democratic leadership.

If President Biden is serious about unity, I can think of no better bill for him to support. This week, I will be reintroducing another important piece of legislation, the Probation Officer Protection Act. This bill would give probation officers the arrest authority they need to fully enforce the law and protect public safety. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will cosponsor this bill and work with me to send it to the President's desk, along with the Protect and Serve Act.

I know every Member of Congress has seen the heroism of law enforcement firsthand. I did too. We all saw it on January 6, when Capitol Police and DC Police risked their lives to ensure our safety. We ultimately lost two Capitol Police officers, and we lost another since then. More than 440 of our Capitol Police and DC Police were injured in the events of January 6.

I hope the respect and appreciation we show to law enforcement this week can be sustained year-round. Let us commit ourselves to doing all we can to support the men and women in blue who protect and serve us every single day.

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