Expressing support for the Nation's law enforcement agencies.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 387 Expressing support for the Nation’s law enforcement agencies. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 12, 2021 Mr. BUCK (for himself, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. LAMBORN, and Mr. BIGGS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing support for the Nation’s law enforcement agencies. Whereas law enforcement officers protect the American peo- ple from criminals who seek to perpetrate violence and harm innocent lives regardless of the political cir- cumstances of the day; Whereas the brave men and women of the law enforcement community continually summon the courage to fulfill their solemn oath to ensure the safety of our commu- nities and provide peace of mind for our Nation’s citi- zens; Whereas America’s law enforcement community also seeks to assist the communities they serve through a variety of nontraditional means, including nonarrest pathways that connect individuals with treatment and recovery pro- VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR387.IH HR387 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 387 IH grams to overcome addiction, and juvenile diversion pro- grams to prevent minors from entering the criminal jus- tice system; Whereas supporting law enforcement officers with the equip- ment, training, and funding necessary to serve our com- munities and keep our streets safe has long been a bipar- tisan issue, dating back to President Clinton and then- Senator Biden joining their Republican colleagues to pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994; Whereas law enforcement officers willingly face dangerous circumstances and the threat of serious bodily injury or death on a daily basis to ensure the safety of all Ameri- cans; Whereas the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Mu- seum reports that as of December 31, 2020, 1,763 law enforcement officers had died in the line of duty during the past decade; Whereas the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Muse- um’s 2020 Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report detailed that 264 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2020, an increase of 96 percent from the previous year, including 48 officers who were killed in firearms-related incidents in 2020; Whereas peaceful protests have been hijacked by violent ex- tremists seeking to sow discord, damage property, loot businesses, and inflict harm against civilians and law en- forcement officers; Whereas law enforcement officers have been run over, shot, hit with objects, and stabbed attempting to maintain peace and the rule of law; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR387.IH HR387 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 387 IH Whereas progressive politicians and interest groups have re- sponded to this violence with calls to defund law enforce- ment agencies across the Nation; Whereas defunding or otherwise handcuffing law enforcement officers will make officers less likely to intervene in dan- gerous situations and will result in law enforcement pull- ing back from the neighborhoods they are entrusted to protect; Whereas violent crime increases when law enforcement is forced to withdraw from neighborhoods; Whereas the New York Police Department reported that the number of shootings soared 97 percent from 777 in 2019 to 1,531 in 2020 and the number of murders jumped by 44 percent as police faced a stiff round of budget cuts and reduced support from local officials; Whereas the Los Angeles Police Department reported 322 homicides as of December 12, 2020, up 30.4 percent from 247 at the same point last year, after the depart- ment’s budget was cut by $150,000,000; Whereas violent crimes soared by 21 percent in Minneapolis last year as Minneapolis City Council officials continue pushing to dismantle the city’s police department while hiring private security details for their own personal pro- tection; Whereas the vilification of the Nation’s law enforcement offi- cers and the embracing of hateful rhetoric against these brave men and women only places them further in harm’s way; Whereas these brave men and women must operate in an en- vironment where their moral and legal authority is con- stantly being scrutinized, and they undertake the critical VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR387.IH HR387 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 387 IH yet difficult task of addressing the actions of those af- fected by addiction, homelessness, and mental illness; and Whereas efforts to defund police departments will cause ir- reparable and lasting damage to the Nation: Now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) offers its sincere gratitude and appreciation 2 to the Nation’s law enforcement officers who protect 3 and serve our communities; 4 (2) recognizes the great sacrifice our law en- 5 forcement officers make to keep the Nation safe; 6 and 7 (3) rejects the misguided and dangerous efforts 8 to defund and dismantle the Nation’s law enforce- 9 ment agencies. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR387.IH HR387 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS