Dear Senator Tillis,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our strong support for S. 167, the “Protect and Serve Act.”
This legislation is a priority for the FOP and is a direct response to the number of attacks on law enforcement officers by imposing, in limited circumstances, Federal penalties on individuals who deliberately target local, State or Federal law enforcement officers with violence. So far this year, 24 officers have been shot in the line of duty, four of whom have been ambushed and one of whom was killed.
Ambush attacks and violence targeting law enforcement officers in general have been steadily increasing in recent years. Last year, 342 officers were shot in the line of duty, which was a small but welcome decrease from the all-time high of 378 in 2023. Sadly, though, of those officers shot in 2024, 50 of them were killed—an 8% increase from 2023. There were 61 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers last year that resulted in 79 officers shot, 18 of whom were killed.
We believe the Senate needs to act now and pass the “Protect and Serve Act.” This would be a strong show of support for the men and women in the line of fire and send a clear message to those who would seek to do them harm.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you for your leadership and for your support of the men and women in law enforcement. I look forward to working with you and your staff to get this bill considered and passed by the Senate. If I can provide any additional information or support for this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President