Invest in Law Enforcement Act would provide critical funding to municipal police forces for training, equipment, recruitment, and mental health support
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) announced today that she is leading a new bipartisan bill to provide $50,000,000 in grants for small police departments, with many in Michigan's 8th District eligible for funding. The legislation is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the National Troopers Coalition (NTC).
The Invest in Law Enforcement Act, introduced by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and John Rutherford (FL-04), would provide funds to help police departments with a force of 200 officers or less invest in:
- Training in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence.
- Equipment and technology such as body cameras, secure data storage, and privacy and security guidelines.
- Personnel support including officer recruitment, retention bonuses, and funding for officer enrollment in mental health, public health, and social work programs.
- Mental health resources for officers.
These resources will provide vital support for local Michigan police departments such as those in Oxford, Mason, Leslie, and Stockbridge.
"Now more than ever, we need to make sure police departments in smaller and rural towns have the resources they need to set our officers up for success and keep our communities safe," said Slotkin. "This bill does exactly that by funding specialized training for situations that require de-escalation or instances that may involve unique skill sets, including responding to domestic violence calls. After the tragedy we experienced in Oxford late last year, I've also seen firsthand the need to make sure our first responders have access to the mental health resources they need. That's why I'm pleased this bill includes funding to help cover those costs for our law enforcement officers, as well as allocating funds for essential accountability measures like body cameras."
Slotkin added, "Good community policing starts with making sure our local departments have the resources they need to get the job done, and this bill provides that funding while giving officers the training and tools they need for a range of different situations."
"This kind of funding is exactly the right way to ensure that smaller police departments like Oxford's have sufficient resources so our officers are prepared for all kinds of situations," said Oxford Village Police Chief Michael Solwold. "We've worked closely with Representative Slotkin's office, especially in recent weeks after the tragedy at Oxford High School, to make sure our first responders have the resources and support they need. This bill would be an important investment to help us ensure our officers are set up for success as they work to keep our community safe, and we appreciate the Congresswoman's support and her dedication to getting it passed."
"Local police departments are critical to keeping Michigan families safe, and this bill represents a much-needed investment that will make an enormous difference for departments like ours," said Meridian Township Chief of Police Ken Plaga. "Whether by covering new recruitment efforts, specialized training, or mental health services, this funding would be a huge win for our individual officers and police departments across Michigan. We're grateful for Congresswoman Slotkin's leadership on this issue and urge other members of the Michigan delegation to support her bill."
"Over the last year, law enforcement officers have faced many challenges and threats to their well-being that has created a dangerous environment for those sworn to protect the public," said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. "These challenges have ranged from violence against officers, an increase of violent rhetoric against them, lagging technology, recruitment and retention issues, and mental health concerns. Particularly, smaller municipalities have seen an increased strain on the men and women in blue as they attempt to uphold the rule of law. The ‘Invest in Law Enforcement Act' would be a step in the right direction to combat these issues that plague law enforcement officers in smaller municipalities. On behalf of the more than 364,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am proud to offer our support for this incredibly necessary legislation."
Original source can be found here.
