NAPO statement on policy and position law enforcement priorities
NAPO supports the Attorney General
NAPO endorses Jeff Sessions as the new U. S. Attorney General. He has been a leading voice for law enforcement on many issues facing our community and has been strongly supportive of many of our legislative priorities. We look forward to working with him in his new position as the nation’ s“ Top Cop.” Repeal of Executive Order 13688
In May 2014, pursuant to President Obama’ s Executive Order 13688, the Law Enforcement Equipment Working Group recommended and imposed extensive restrictions on when state and local law enforcement may access certain federal surplus military equipment. Many of the items the Executive Order has restricted are purely defensive gear, such as riot shields, helmets, batons and armored personal transport vehicles. This gear proved essential to local law enforcement responses to the terrorist attacks in Orlando, Florida and San Bernardino, California.
Programs like the 1033 Program and grant programs from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have been vital resources in allowing state and local law enforcement to acquire items used in search-and-rescue operations, disaster response and active-shooter situations they otherwise would not be able to afford. This equipment has not led to the“ militarization” of law enforcement, but rather has proven to be essential in protecting communities against violent criminals and terrorists with increasing access to sophisticated weaponry, IEDs, body armor and sometimes even armored vehicles.
Officers must be given access to the lifesaving gear they need to defend themselves and the civilians they are sworn to protect. NAPO supports the full revocation of Executive Order 13688. Increased penalties for crimes against law enforcement
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, there were 135 line-of-duty deaths in 2016, a 10 percent increase over 2015 and the highest total since 2011. Of those, 64 were by gunfire – is a 56-percent increase over the number of gun-related deaths in 2015.
Increased penalties make important differences in the attitudes of criminals toward public safety officers, and can ensure protection for the community. NAPO supports enacting new federal criminal provisions to address the assault and murder of federally funded local law enforcement officers, such as those officers whose agencies receive aid from the federal DOJ or DHS; and the assault and murder of state and local officers engaged in the protection of federally recognized civil rights, such as those officers attacked while safeguarding protests. We believe there should be increased penalties on those who harm, or target for harm, public safety officers by making the murder or attempted murder of a state or local officer an aggravating factor in sentencing determinations. Funding for state and local law enforcement grant programs
In recent years, budgetary constraints have forced many states and municipalities to make tough choices about public safety, with the result being either the reduction in the hiring of new law enforcement officers or the laying off of experienced officers. The Community Oriented Policing Services( COPS) Hiring Program has been a fiscally responsible solution that has helped jurisdictions avoid having to make those difficult choices. The COPS Hiring Program has assisted more than 13,000 jurisdictions with
more than $ 14 billion in funding to hire more than 127,000 community police officers across the United States.
Unfortunately, the COPS Program under the Obama administration shifted away from the program’ s original intent and has become a tool to move a distinct political agenda, including policies such as anti-bias training, procedural justice and police legitimacy.
These policies were pushed at the expense of critical funding for the hiring and retention of officers. That funding should have been focused on officer and community safety measures such as lowering response time for emergency calls and two- officer patrol units. NAPO strongly supports fully funding the COPS Hiring Program and maintaining the program’ s original intent – helping states and localities hire and retain community law enforcement officers to ensure they can protect and serve America’ s communities efficiently and effectively.
NAPO also strongly supports fully funding the Bulletproof Vest Partnership( BVP) Grant Program, a critical resource that helps state and local agencies purchase bullet-resistant body armor for officers. Return of NAPO’ s TOP COPS to the White House
NAPO hopes that President Trump will welcome our nation’ s TOP COP award winners to the White House, as have previous presidents. The TOP COP Awards pay tribute to law enforcement officers in federal, state, county, tribal and local agencies from across the country for actions above and beyond the call of duty during the preceding year. It would be an honor for these American heroes to be recognized for their actions by President Trump.
www. njcopsmagazine. com ■ FEBRUARY 2017 21