Dear Representatives Lee and Trone,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 3150, the “Overcoming Prevalent Inadequacies in Overdose Information Data Sets (OPIOIDS) Act.”
With the opioid crisis escalating each year, it has become increasingly evident that we urgently need to allocate more resources to combat this epidemic. At-risk communities and various departments are facing challenges in effectively disrupting the drug trade and providing timely responses to overdoses. The burdens placed on officers are immense, as they are spread thin and expected to handle everyday crime while simultaneously tackling the highly demanding opioid crisis, often without the appropriate training and equipment needed for the task at hand.
Your legislation would empower the Attorney General to award grants to local law enforcement departments and forensic laboratories in communities with high rates of drug overdoses. These grants are dedicated to training officers to identify overdoses and reduce secondary exposures, upgrading “essential systems” for tracking and sample processing, improving dark web tracing, ensuring uniform reporting to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the National Forensic Lab Information System, and directing Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) to train State and Local agencies on coordination with Federal law enforcement agencies.
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