Dear Representatives Díaz-Balart and Moskowitz,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 1005, the “EAGLES Act.”
Established in 1998 by the U.S. Secret Service to research various types of targeted violence, the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) developed a threat assessment model designed to identify individuals exhibiting pre-attack behavior, assess the potential threat posed by the individual, and manage the threat. The NTAC shares this information with local and State law enforcement agencies and uses the information to inform specific training for law enforcement on threat assessment and response.
Your legislation, fittingly named after the mascot of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, would reauthorize and expand the NTAC program by including a new safety initiative that would provide for additional research and training to prevent school violence and other attacks in our communities. By establishing a national program on targeted violence prevention, the legislation will promote information sharing, the development of best practices, and the creation of an interactive website to disseminate information and data on targeted school and church violence prevention. The FOP believes the NTAC has real value to our officers in the field and we support you and your efforts to reauthorize and fund its important work so we can prevent future tragedies.
On behalf of the more than 367,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this critical issue. If I can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President