Dear Representatives Harder and Rutherford,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 8750, the “COPS Reauthorization Act,” which will establish and reauthorize the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and all the programs it administers through 2031.
The cornerstone of our national crime-fighting strategy is community-oriented policing and the COPS Office has served as the keystone of this strategy for more than 30 years. At a time when the profession of law enforcement is struggling to hire and retain quality law enforcement officers to keep our communities safe, the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) is absolutely vital.
The COPS Office also administers a variety of assistance programs. The National Blue Alert Coordinator is in the COPS Office, as is an established grant program to train State and local law enforcement officers in active shooter response and de-escalation training. The COPS Office also administers the programs created by Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) which has had a tremendously positive impact on the health and wellness of America’s law enforcement officers. The LEMHWA program augments the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis (STOIC) Act by providing family support services to law enforcement personnel as well as suicide prevention services.
Unlike some Federal programs providing assistance to State and local law enforcement, the COPS Office has cultivated and maintained excellent partnerships with officers in the field. The COPS Office enjoys the full confidence and trust of the officers in the field—it represents a brand which has a single mission: to serve the needs of State and local law enforcement.
Your legislation affirms our national commitment to the community-oriented policing strategy—which the FOP believes is the most effective way to promote public safety and to enhance the quality of life in a community. By involving the community, the police have more resources available to help with crime prevention. By familiarizing themselves with the members of the community, officers are more likely to obtain valuable information about criminals and their activities, and they are more likely to obtain a reliable evaluation of the needs of citizens and their expectations of the police.
On behalf of the more than 382,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, we are grateful to all of you for your leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you to ensure that the COPS Office and its programs are reauthorized and fully funded. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President