Dear Representatives Deutch and Diaz-Balart,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 1229, the “EAGLES Act,” which would reauthorize and expand the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Established in 1998 by the U.S. Secret Service to research various types of targeted violence, the NTAC developed a threat assessment model designed to identify individuals exhibiting preattack 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 school safety initiative that would provide for additional research and training to prevent school violence. By establishing a national program on targeted school 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 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 356,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you for introducing this bill and for your continued support of law enforcement. If I can provide any additional information on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President