Invest to Protect Act of 2022
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Invest to Protect Act, to invest in good policing, to fight crime, and to protect our families and officers.
We must ensure that local police departments across our country have what they need to recruit and retain the finest officers, provide necessary training, and invest in providing mental health resources for our officers.
Across our country, we have seen a rise in crime, and this is at a time when it is harder than ever to hire, recruit, and retain officers. In fact, last year, public reports found a 44 percent increase in retirements and an 18 percent increase in resignations of law enforcement.
It is clear: If you want to make something better, you don't get there by cutting or defunding. You need to make smart, targeted investments. We must fund, not defund, law enforcement.
That is why I introduced the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act to make critical investments in local police departments and protect our communities.
Work on Invest to Protect started more than a year ago through bipartisan police reform talks with Democrats and Republicans in the House, the Senate, and the States, including with members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, who have overwhelmingly endorsed this legislation.
I helped craft the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act with Republican Congressman, former sheriff, and my friend, John Rutherford, and it was developed through conversations with both sides in both Chambers, and with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. I, again, thank the sheriff for his work and leadership.
I am appreciative of the support and input from the National Association of Police Organizations; the Fraternal Order of Police; our New Jersey law enforcement organizations and departments, including the New Jersey State PBA and the New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police; and my Senate colleagues.
This bill would not be where it is today without the support of Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty, whose leadership and friendship have been critical. I also thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus for their constructive engagement in this process. I thank Caucus Chairman Jeffries and Speaker Pelosi for their work, as well.
The Invest to Protect Act will invest in small and midsized police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers, which make up more than 96 percent of local departments.
First, it will invest in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training, and it will offset overtime pay for officers who are training.
Second, it will provide grants for departments to recruit new officers. It will also provide retention bonuses to help them keep their best officers on the job.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Finally, it will help departments provide mental health resources for their officers and include strong accountability measures.
These are critical steps we must take.
Going forward, I will continue to fight for additional equipment and training our officers need to protect our communities.
The bottom line: You can't cut or defund your way to safer communities and better police departments. It is about investing to protect. We must always get the backs of those who risk their lives every day to protect us.
Again, I thank Sheriff Rutherford for his leadership, law enforcement unions for working so hard on this legislation, and all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for putting country first and getting this legislation to the floor.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letter of support of H.R. 6448, Invest to Protect Act, from the Fraternal Order of Police. National Fraternal Order of Police, Washington, DC, September 22, 2022. Hon. Nancy P. Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin O. McCarthy, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Steny H. Hoyer, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Stephen J. Scalise, Minority Whip, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Speaker and Representatives McCarthy, Hoyer and Scalise: I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to urge the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support the passage of H.R. 5768, the ``Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act,'' and H.R. 6448, the ``Invest to Protect Act,'' which could be considered on the floor of the House as early as today.
Homicide cases can be very difficult to clear--especially those committed via firearm--and non-fatal shootings even more so. Closing these types of crimes requires diligence, manpower, and a sustained investigative effort. Given the limited resources of law enforcement agencies, it's important to provide the significant, dedicated resources that clearing these crimes requires, especially given their oftentimes heinous nature, and the need to get justice for the victims and their families.
The ``VICTIM Act'' would establish a grant program to help State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies improve their clearance rates for homicides, non-fatal shootings and other violent crimes. Agencies can use these grant funds to train, hire, or retain additional detectives, investigators, or other police personnel to investigate, solve, and respond to these crimes. The grants can also be used to improve training for agency personnel to address the needs of victims and family members impacted by these crimes. By providing those important resources to law enforcement agencies across the country, we can improve the chances that murders, sexual assaults, kidnappings, and non-fatal shootings get cleared. This means ensuring punishment for the perpetrators, securing justice for the victims and their families, and providing peace of mind for the communities our members work so hard to protect.
The FOP also urges Members of the House to support H.R. 6448, the ``Invest to Protect Act.'' Over the last few years, law enforcement officers have faced many challenges and threats to their well-being that have created a dangerous environment for those sworn to protect the public. These challenges have ranged from violence against officers, an increase in violent rhetoric against them, lagging technology, recruitment and retention issues, and mental health concerns. Smaller municipalities are experiencing increased strain on the men and women in blue. We believe that the ``Invest to Protect Act'' can help our nation's smaller agencies and departments combat these issues that plague law enforcement officers in smaller municipalities.
This legislation would establish a grant program that would be used for training of officers from police departments and municipalities that employ less than 125 law enforcement officers. The funding appropriated would be $60 million over a five-year period. These trainings would include de- escalation, domestic violence response, and response calls to vulnerable populations like those involving persons with disabilities, mental health issues, or substance abuse disorders.
This legislation is also designed to help these smaller agencies recruit new officers and to help address the retention issue of current officers. The funding could also be used by officers from eligible departments who are pursuing further education in mental health, public health, or social work. These officers could receive up to $10,000 in aid towards their tuition. Lastly, the funding could also be used for mental health services, treatments, and therapies for active police officers.
On behalf of the more than 364,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I urge the Members of the House to pass these two bills to support our nation's small departments and the communities they serve. If I can provide any additional information about this bill, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office. Sincerely, Patrick Yoes, National President.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source