NAPO invited to Task Force Summit
on Crime Reduction & Public Safety
Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to
NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson on April 5
detailing the work of the Task Force on Crime Re-
duction and Public Safety, which he established on
Feb. 27. The attorney general also invited NAPO to
participate in the Task Force’s National Summit on
Crime Reduction and Public Safety.
The letter confirmed that the attorney general recognizes NA-
PO’s commitment to supporting the criminal justice system and
reducing crime in our nation. He also recognizes NAPO’s hope
for a true partnership over the coming years to meet shared goals.
In a preamble to the invitation to participate in the summit,
the letter discusses the need to work collaboratively to address
violent crime in our neighborhoods and protect the civil rights of
all Americans. Through the work of the task force and feedback
from the summit, the attorney general has asked for initial rec-
ommendations to address these issues no later than July 27.
This letter follows up on a memorandum that the attorney
general sent to Justice Department division and bureau lead-
ership and United States Attorneys on March 31 outlining the
mission of the department to support state, local and tribal law
enforcement.
The memorandum lists guiding principles the attorney gen-
eral believes the department must adhere to, including princi-
ples which support local control and accountability, and recog-
nizes that it is not the role of the federal government to manage
non-federal law enforcement agencies. The mem-
orandum further states that the misdeeds of a few
bad officers should not undermine the admirable
work that law enforcement officers perform to keep
our nation’s communities safe. Under these princi-
ples, the attorney general directs the deputy attor-
ney general and associate attorney general to review
contemplated and existing consent decrees and police reform
initiatives.
Under the Obama administration, consent decrees have ex-
emplified a top-down, Washington-knows-best, one-size-fits
all, coercive approach to how state and local policing should be
done, what officers should look like, and even what they should
think and believe. Such agreements do not instill a sense of part-
nership between the Justice Department and the law enforce-
ment agencies they address. They also have deleterious effects
on officer morale and public safety as rank-and-file officers feel
attacked and unsupported by their governments and political of-
ficials.
President announces deal with AT&T for FirstNet
On March 30, President Trump announced a $6.5 million deal
with AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)
to build a nationwide wireless broadband network for first re-
sponders.
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