It's Official! Law Enforcement Just Gained a Powerful New Ally
Plus legislative updates and a free resource for police departments
One of my priorities is to collaborate with organizations that can help advance law enforcement and public safety. At the top of this list has been Independent Women’s Network (and its sister organization, Independent Women’s Forum), an organization of which I’m exceedingly proud to be an active and investing member.
We’re at the forefront of some of today’s most pressing issues, including protecting women’s spaces in sports, indoctrination in public schools, labor practices that impact independent contractors, and the border crisis. Our influential organization has the ear of members of Congress, and our members regularly contribute to major media outlets.
Knowing what this organization has accomplished, I was thrilled when staff initially agreed to help promote the Protect & Serve Act. Now imagine my reaction when they informed me last week that they’d love to “make an even bigger splash on crime and police issues!”
This past week, we met to discuss plans for our newest IWN action center - and I’m so excited! For now, I will tell you that we’ll be focusing on some of the most pressing issues facing law enforcement, including staffing shortages and violence being perpetrated on police officers. Given that this is a women’s organization (we care about men, too!), we’ll also be highlighting the important role female police officers play in law enforcement, and how the war on cops has impacted them.
We’ll be unveiling our policy and action center during National Police Week. Our advocacy doesn’t end there, though; we will be expanding with time.
Great things are ahead! Stay tuned. : )
California Bill Would Mandate SROs in Public Schools
Last month, California Assembly Member Bill Essayli introduced A.B. 3038, which would require the presence of school resource officers (SROs) in the state’s public and charter schools.
There are, of course, obvious reasons why this bill should pass, including the fact that sworn officers can provide rapid response during active shooter situations, when seconds count.
SROs also play other pivotal roles -like that of mentor and counselor- that can ultimately lead to more effective crime prevention and better student outcomes.
Please read my latest presser for National Police Association about this crucial bill. If you live in California, please urge your assembly member to co-sponsor it.
Other Legislative Updates
The Protect & Serve Act (H.R. 743)
This critical bill gained four new House co-sponsors this past week and now has 108 signatures. Shout outs to these U.S. representatives:
Andrew Ogles (TN-5)
Gus Bilirakis (FL-2)
August Pfluger (TX-11)
Lloyd Smucker (PA-11)
Honoring Police Officer and K9 Service Act of 2023 (H.R. 5885)
This bill, which would establish a grant program to help offset the cost of veterinary care of retired police dogs has finally gained a new co-sponsor.
Thank you, Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24) for signing on this past week.
Where are Our Other Elected Officials?
While I’m grateful to the representatives who sponsor, co-sponsor, or support meaningful police and public safety bills, I also strongly believe we should be further along. Movement on important bills, at least the bills I’m closely following, has been slow-going.
The Wall Street Journal recently published an op-ed about our military woes that can just as easily be applied to law enforcement.
“Yet Congress has been mired in so much dysfunction that both chambers haven’t been able to pass an appropriation even for fiscal 2024 for the Pentagon. The political class in Washington is failing at its most important obligation, which is providing for the nation’s defense.”
We all deserve better than this.
Free Resource for Police Departments
At a time when police departments are experiencing staffing crunches and scaling down -and even eliminating- specialized units, our animal friends have become one of the casualties.
Thankfully, there are organizations able to help. One of these is HumanePro, an arm of the Humane Society of the U.S., that offers free trainings to police departments and prosecutors. The classes are taught by current and former law enforcement and those versed in animal crimes. Courses cover an array of topics, including how to deal effectively and humanely with aggressive animals.
Whether or not you like HSUS, this is a beneficial resource worth checking out.
Parting thought . . .
The growing frequency in which lies are told, spread, and believed is troubling. Social media influencers and others make things up as they go along, their words accepted as Gospel. Those with an agenda manipulate statistics to create narratives that may or may not be true.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to be selective about the media we follow and what we choose to believe. I ditched Facebook a few years ago, have limited my time on Twitter, and subscribe to a small collection of trusted sources (at least trustworthy in my eyes). Even then, I try to question everything I read. Does what I just read make sense? Does the author have a pre-determined agenda?
We can’t thrive as a nation, after all, if we’re crafting solutions based on falsehoods.
Stay safe and healthy, and I’ll see you next time. : )
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.