WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Yvette Herrell voted for the bipartisan “Invest to Protect Act” and applauded its passage today by the House of Representatives. The legislation makes targeted critical investments in local police departments to ensure that officers in smaller towns across the country have the resources and training they need to keep their communities safe.
"I'm proud to support this investment in safer neighborhoods and the brave men and women who protect them," said Rep. Herrell. "The Invest to Protect Act will especially help small or rural communities to properly equip, train, and care for their police officers, which is more important than ever during this national crime wave."
The Invest to Protect Act will provide the following federal investment to small police departments:
- Investments in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training, allowing officers to receive critical training that will make them more effective at their jobs, all without putting a strain on department budgets or reducing the number of officers on duty while others are at training by allowing investment to be used to offset overtime pay.
- Investment for body worn cameras — to hold everyone accountable — while also providing much-needed resources for data storage and data security.
- Investment for small departments to recruit new officers — helping expand departments and bringing in new, good officers. This investment can also be used by departments to provide retention bonuses to help keep their existing officers and provide investment for officers pursuing graduate degrees in public health, social work, and mental health.
- Investment for departments to provide mental health resources for their officers.
The full bill text of the Invest to Protect Act can be found here.
The bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, National Sheriffs’ Association, and the National Troopers Coalition.
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