Lee Votes to Increase Community Policing
The House Restores the Highly Successful COPS Hiring Program
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee today joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 1700, the COPS Reauthorization Act. This measure is designed to help local law enforcement agencies to hire an additional 50,000 police officers on the beat over the next six years.
The following are her remarks from the floor during debate this afternoon (as delivered):
“Thank you and I want to thank the gentleman for your stellar leadership as chair of the Judiciary Committee and thank my colleague, Congressman Weiner from New York, for your determination to make our Country safer, by the introduction of this bill.
“The reauthorization of the C.O.P.S. program really does come at a very important time in our entire country. As an example, C.O.P.S. has provided, since 1994 in my district alone, 45.5 million in grants. These funds have allowed law enforcement agencies in my district to hire 552 additional police officers and 45 new school resource officers. C.O.P.S. has also provided technology grants, totaling 2.9 million dollars in my district.
“If passed, this bill will allow cops to hire more necessary officers. The people of Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, the entire ninth Congressional district, could see 236 new officers, 13 million in grants, 19 school resource officers and 2.8 million in technology funding over the next six years.
“Our communities throughout the country need C.O.P.S. program. This is about public safety and violence prevention.
“Community policing does work.”
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