Last Chance! Register Now for NAPO’s 48th Annual Convention

July 19 – 22, 2026 ~  Detroit, Michigan

Join us for NAPO’s 48th Annual Convention being held at the Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. The riverfront hotel located in downtown Detroit welcomes you with a contemporary design and a newly renovated modern lobby and restaurant. The hotel offers stunning views of the Detroit River and Ontario, Canada.

Participate in setting NAPO’s legislative priorities for the upcoming 120th Congress, midterm elections, and hear from prominent national law enforcement figures about the latest developments in police labor practices and services.

Very Special Thank You to Mark Young and the Detroit Police Lieutenants & Sergeants Association and Craig Miller and the Detroit Police Officers Association for sponsoring many of the convention’s events.  Without their financial support and tireless efforts, many of the events simply would not be possible!

To register, view the working agenda, get travel discounts, or to learn more about NAPO’s Annual Convention, please visit: https://www.napo.org/convention26

NAPO Participates in White House Law Enforcement Roundtable

NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson participated in a Law Enforcement Roundtable at the White House, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on June 29. The roundtable was a listening session and discussion regarding how the Department of Justice (DOJ) can better endeavor to meet the needs of law enforcement officers, their families, and the agencies they serve.

Johnson emphasized the better working relationship NAPO has today with the Department’s Civil Rights Division and the improved lines of communication with all the different components within DOJ, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He also re-emphasized the essential need for transparency and accountability within the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program for it to better serve the surviving family members of those killed in the line of duty and those catastrophically injured in the line of duty.  

Acting Attorney General Blanche assured Johnson he has heard NAPO concerns with the Program and gave his commitment that improvements are already in process.

On June 30, NAPO announced our endorsement of Acting Attorney General Blanche’s nomination to be the next Attorney General. We look forward to continuing working with him in support of America’s law enforcement officers.

NAPO on the Hill: Coalition Against Bigger Trucks; NDAA

Coalition Against Bigger Trucks

NAPO, as longstanding member of the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), joined our coalition law enforcement partners in a June 30 letter to Congress urging lawmakers to reject any provisions that would allow for heavier and longer trucks as they consider surface transportation reauthorization measures.

Extensive research, including the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2016 Truck Size and Weight Study, has consistently shown that larger trucks are more dangerous. Heavier trucks have higher crash rates and out-of-service rates – including brake violations – compared to those operating at the current 80,000-pound limit. Longer double-trailer trucks (Double 33s) are just as concerning, with significantly higher out-of-service rates and a stopping distance 22 feet longer than the currently allowed twin 28s.

Law enforcement witness firsthand the dangers posed by oversized trucks. In 2024 alone, 5,340 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks – a 44.9% increase since 2010 and the fourth-highest total since 2008. Increasing truck size or weight will only worsen this already alarming trend.

Our officers are also at greater risk. Too many injured or killed in roadside crashes each year. Adding larger trucks to the mix will only increase the danger they face while performing their duties. Officer and public safety should be a priority when considering any legislation. NAPO will continue to work with CABT to oppose any proposals to allow bigger trucks on our nation’s roadways.

National Defense Authorization Act

NAPO continues to work to pass our priority legislation that has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by any path possible, including as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Last year, we successfully passed the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, the Improving Police CARE Act, the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, and comprehensive counter-drone authorities for state and local law enforcement as amendments to the Fiscal 2026 NDAA.

We worked with bill sponsors and the Senate Judiciary Committee to submit three amendments to the Senate’s Fiscal 2027 NDAA:

• The Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Expansion Act, offered by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). This bill, which is a         top priority for NAPO, would make vital changes to the PSOB Program to increase transparency and accountability and ensure the Program honors and supports         officers and their families who have sacrificed so much in service to their communities.

• The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Act, offered by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) as           part of a larger bipartisan Judiciary Committee amendment. This bill, another NAPO priority, would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop treatment         programs for police, fire, emergency medical and 911 personnel who suffer from PTSD or acute stress disorders. By recognizing the prevalence of PTSD within the         public safety profession and the need to address PTSD and acute stress disorder among officers, this bill would help make certain they get the treatment and help         they need.

• The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act, offered by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), would make it easier for federal prosecutors to          prove carjacking offenses.

The Senate will begin consideration of the FY27 NDAA when it returns from its July 4th recess the week of July 13. NAPO will be working over the recess to push consideration and adoption of these important amendments.

DOJ Announces Changes to Equitable Sharing Program

The Department of Justice’s Assets Forfeiture Program has allowed law enforcement to deprive criminals of both the proceeds and tools of crime. The federal adoption of assets seized by state and local law enforcement ensures the continuation of the successful relationship between the federal government and state and local law enforcement that has allowed state and local agencies to prevent and thwart serious criminal activity and terrorism.

Specifically, the resources provided by the Equitable Sharing Program have provided state and local law enforcement agencies with a means to participate in federal task forces, purchase equipment, upgrade technology, engage their communities, and better train and protect their officers.

On June 23, the DOJ announced it is contemplating significant changes to the Equitable Sharing Program, including raising the Equitable Sharing Federal Share on all assets seized and forfeited from 20% to 40%. This means that participating state and local law enforcement agencies will receive 20% less from the program than they currently do, with the Federal government taking a larger share.

The DOJ stated that despite the possible changes to the program, it remains committed to ensuring that equitable sharing continues to recognize the vital contributions of state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement, while ensuring the Assets Forfeiture Fund continues to support the broader asset forfeiture mission, compensate victims, and support administration priorities.  

The reduction of the non-federal share of the Equitable Sharing Program could force state and local law enforcement agencies to cut training for officers and scrap the purchase of needed new technology and equipment that they can no longer afford. It may also cause agencies to reconsider their ability to participate in joint task forces with the federal government. Significantly, it would impact the budgets of agencies who participate in the program and have relied on it to fill in funding gaps, leaving less funding to go towards hiring officers and improving officer pay and benefits.

During the June 29 Law Enforcement Roundtable at the White House, Acting Attorney General Blanche assured NAPO and the gathered law enforcement representatives that the DOJ is taking our concerns into consideration and will communicate the final decision on changes to the Equitable Sharing Program.  

DOJ Announces New $3B Immigration-Related Grant Program

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that was signed into law last year included $3.33 billion in funds for Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration efforts, anti-drug task forces, and for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs to help state and local agencies investigate and prosecute violent crime, support criminal enforcement initiatives, and assist in immigration enforcement.

The DOJ just released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) the over $3 billion grant program, the Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program, which will be through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). This program provides funding for grants to eligible States, State agencies, and units of local government and tribal governments to support significant participation in and support of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) activities, and other DOJ efforts to combat gangs, cartels, and other violent crimes.

The NOFO includes three funding categories to support these activities: 1) hiring of sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and non-law enforcement personnel; 2) technology and equipment; and 3) construction and expansion of temporary detention facilities for criminal illegal aliens.

To be eligible for the grant program, state and local law enforcement agencies must participate in, or commit to participate in, an ICE 297(g) agreement, and participate in (or commit to supporting) HSTF operations or similar DOJ-led initiatives. This limits the agencies who can receive funding through this grant to those engaged in federal immigration enforcement partnerships.

This NOFO will be released in multiple rounds. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are no longer available.

Nominee to Lead Office of Justice Programs Prioritizes PSOB in Nomination Hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a nomination hearing on June 24 for the Administration’s nominee to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Konstantinos (Kosta) Ligris. As Assistant Attorney General for OJP Mr. Ligris, who has a background in real estate law and is a technologist and entrepreneur, will be in charge vital law enforcement grants and programs including the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne JAG) program, the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program, the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, and soon the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), amongst many others. He will very likely oversee the merger of the COPS Office and OJP into the new Bureau of Justice Grants.

During his time for questioning the nominee, Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) highlighted the fact that families are not receiving adequate and timely benefits through the PSOB Program and asked Mr. Ligris to commit to looking at the Program and fixing it to ensure families of fallen law enforcement officers and those officers injured in the line of duty get the compensation they deserve. Mr. Ligris responded that if he is confirmed, the PSOB Program will be his top priority on day 1.

NAPO appreciates Chairman Grassley using this time to highlight the importance of the PSOB Program and the need to address its current shortcomings. He continues to be a leader in ensuring the PSOB Program meets the needs of the officers and families it serves.

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