COPS Improvements Act of 2007

Floor Speech

COPS IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 15, 2007)

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Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act of 2007. I would like to thank the chief sponsors of this legislation, Congressmen WEINER and KELLER, for their efforts in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor today.

Congress created the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322). Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, the COPS program awards grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing personnel, implement new technologies to combat crime, and develop new policing techniques.

Since its establishment, the COPS program has been widely hailed as a success. It most notably has supported the hiring of over 120,000 additional police officers and helped contribute to a nationwide decrease in the rate of violent crime. In Hawaii alone, COPS grants have helped to hire 522 additional police officers and sheriffs and placed 18 new resource officers in primary and secondary schools throughout the islands.

Yet funding for this successful program has become a yearly Congressional battle. President Bush's latest FY 2008 budget request seeks to cut funding for the COPS program by 50 percent, which is actually an improvement from previous years in which program funding was simply zeroed out.

In justifying the COPS program funding cut, the administration has often cited the need to refocus our energies on homeland security issues. However, our State and local law enforcement agencies play an increasingly significant role in homeland security through their already established roles in local crime prevention and investigation. It is not unreasonable to suggest that State and local law enforcement entities are among our first lines of defense in keeping our homeland secure. To that end, it is the responsibility of this Congress to continue to support and strengthen the COPS program.

H.R. 1700 is an affirmative step in this direction, as it would authorize $1.15 billion each year in years 2008 through 2013 for the COPS program. This is a 10 percent or $103 million increase from the amounts authorized in current law. Of that amount, $600 million would be allocated each year for the hiring of additional law enforcement officers. It is estimated that this amount will translate into at least 50,000 new police officers on our streets. H.R. 1700 would also allow for up to $350 million annually for grant programs that improve crime-fighting technologies and up to $200 million each year to assist district attorneys in hiring prosecutors.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1700, as it supports the work of law enforcement officers across our Nation. I would also like to extend a heartfelt mahalo (thank you) to our State and local law enforcement officers who serve our Nation with distinction and aloha.

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