NAPO meets with Congressman Pascrell’s staff
On April 24, NAPO met with Congressman Bill
Pascrell (D-New Jersey) to express appreciation for the
Congressman’s support of law enforcement, including
his support of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant
Program Reauthorization Act, the Rafael Ramos and
Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act, the James Zadroga
9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act
and the Don’t Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act.
NAPO also provided information on the Ax the Tax on Middle Class
Americans’ Health Plans Act. In 2018, the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act imposes a 40-percent annual excise tax on taxpayers who are covered by high-cost health insurance plans. NAPO continues to fight against the impending health insurance plan tax.
NAPO discussed officer-worn body camera policies as well as the
Department of Defense’s Excess Property Program – the 1033 Program
– expressing that law enforcement leadership must be included in discussions and stressing that decisions regarding body cameras be
made on an agency-by-agency basis due to the details and technical
aspects to consider including privacy concerns, storage costs,
Freedom of Information Act requests and public expectations of this
technology.
The vast majority of equipment provided under the 1033 Program
is defensive in nature. The program enables law enforcement departments to garner equipment they would otherwise be unable to afford.
Changing the 1033 Program to limit the equipment available to law
enforcement agencies across the nation could limit officers’ abilities
to keep our communities safe.
NAPO’s Executive Director participates in FEMA
roundtable discussion
On April 23, NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson
joined other law enforcement groups in a FEMA roundtable discussion to discuss the advancement of the
“Whole Community” approach to the practice of emergency management that all disasters are local and it
takes all aspects of a community to effectively prepare for, respond to,
and recover from any disaster. The “Whole Community” approach
reinforces the fact that FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team.
NAPO’s Executive Director meets with ATF leadership
On that same day, Johnson met with Deputy Chief Dean Kueter and
Supervisory Special Agent Ross Arends of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and
Office of Public and Governmental Affairs.
They expressed their goal of developing a stronger relationship
between ATF and state and local law enforcement. They want to continue to educate and inform state and local law enforcement
members on how ATF can be helpful in enhancing their mission.
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and the Stop Advertising
Victims of Exploitation passes Senate
On April 22, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act that provides much needed services to
domestic victims and helps ensure child victims ensnared in the sex
trade are no longer arrested and treated as criminals. It boosts support
for victims by increasing law enforcement resources, enhancing victims’ services and increasing penalties in an effort to combat child sex
trafficking, child pornography, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act
amendment offered by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and
Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) passed in the Senate. The SAVE Act combats
Internet sex trafficking and the selling of children under the age of 18.
It makes it a crime for a person to knowingly advertise a commercial
sex act with a minor. It is included in the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
NAPO supports comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act
NAPO expresses full support for the Comprehensive Justice and
Mental Health Act that improves outcomes for the criminal justice system, the mental health system and those with mental health conditions by doing the following:
•
Extend the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction
Act (MIOTCRA) to support mental health courts and crisis intervention teams.
•
Invest in veterans’ treatment courts, which serve arrested
veterans who suffer from PTSD, substance addiction and other
mental health conditions.
•
Support state and local efforts to identify people with mental
health conditions in the criminal justice system.
•
Focus on corrections-based programs such as transitional services that reduce recidivism rates and screening practices that
identify inmates with mental health conditions.
•
Support the development of curricula for police academies and
orientations.
•
Develop programs to train officers on how to respond to
incidents involving a person with a mental health condition. d
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NEW JERSEY COPS
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MAY 2015