Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Tom Rice (R-SC-07) are urging U.S. House leaders in both parties to advance their bill to help increase officer pay and help police departments hire more officers.
The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) on the Beat Program Reauthorization and Parity Act would reauthorize the COPS on the Beat Grant Program for the next 10 years and more than double its current funding level, expand access to COPS Grants within rural communities, and create a stand-alone COPS office within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Spanberger and Rice introduced the bill in January.
In a letter sent to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, and U.S. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan, Spanberger and Rice called for their bipartisan bill to be brought to the U.S. House floor for a vote as soon as possible. Additionally, they highlighted the nationwide need to support law enforcement departments across the country as they face a wide range of new challenges.
“We write to request the House bring bipartisan legislation to the floor for a vote as soon as possible to invest in local police departments to promote safe communities and strengthen relationships between our officers and the communities they serve,” said Spanberger and Rice. “Police departments cannot effectively answer the immense and diverse needs of their communities without sufficient funding. Therefore, we must urgently vote to increase funding for local departments and strengthen federal efforts on community-oriented policing.”
Their letter continued, “As national crime rates increase, the substance abuse disorder crisis worsens, and mental health challenges rise, police departments have become the default members of our community tasked with addressing these complex challenges. All Americans benefit when our communities’ police officers are sufficiently trained, qualified, and have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. Many police departments rely on federal assistance through the COPS Program to make sure their officers are well-trained, receive competitive pay, and stay on the force.”
Support continues to grow for the Spanberger-Rice legislation. Last week, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the COPS on the Beat Program Reauthorization and Parity Act. Additionally, several national law enforcement organizations have backed the bipartisan legislation — including the National Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs Association, National Organization of Police Officers, National Sheriffs Association, and Sergeants Benevolent Association.
Click here to read their letter
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