FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Lucian H. Deaton
Legislative Assistant
(202) 842-4420
NAPO SPEAKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE DEFENDING THE
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (COPS) PROGRAM
On May 14, 2002, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE)
and Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) held a press conference
outside of the U.S. Capitol Building calling on the Administration
to reverse its plans to slash funding to the Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) Program. NAPO President, Thomas J. Scotto,
was asked to speak at the press conference and expressed his disbelief
that the Administration would propose canceling funding to a program
that has proven itself a historical success.
In his remarks, Scotto explained the great successes
in crime reduction the COPS program has brought to cities across
the nation. As state and local budgets tighten and local police
are stretched to confront the new threats to public safety, Scotto
stated that ending the COPS Program would only prove that in its
absence crime would return. Concluding, Scotto thanked Senator Biden
and Representative Weiner for their legislation to re-authorize
COPS and called on the House and Senate to move immediately to save
this important program.
Senator Biden introduced S. 924, the 'Protection
Act,' on May 22, 2001 and Representative Weiner introduced the House
companion bill, H.R. 2009, on May 24, 2001. This legislation would
reinstate funding at 1.15 billion dollars per year through 2008.
It would further allow more flexibility, directing the money allocated
to hiring and or technology needs and would make permanent the COPS
office in the Department of Justice. Created by the 1994 Crime bill,
the COPS Program has funded the hiring of over 110,000 police officers
in 11,300 communities and facilitated countless technological improvements.
Following the press conference, Scotto and NAPO
Director William Johnson met with and thanked Representative Wiener
and Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY),
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reid (D-RI) and Max Cleland (D-GA)
who also spoke at the press conference. COPS re-authorization is
one of NAPO's top priorities and NAPO is continuing to contact House
and Senate members for their support.
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The National Association of Police Organizations
(NAPO) is a coalition of police unions and associations from across
the United States that serves to advance the interests of America's
law enforcement through legislative and legal advocacy, political
action and education. Founded in 1978, NAPO now represents more
than 4,000 police unions and associations, 220,000 sworn law enforcement
officers, 11,000 retired officers and more than 100,000 citizens
who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control
and law enforcement.
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