NAPO Statement on President’s Call for Police Reform in the State of the Union Address

February 8, 2023

Alexandria, VA – President Biden had it right in his State of the Union address last night when he said “I know most cops and their families are good, decent, honorable people. The vast majority. They risk their lives every time they put that shield on". The vast majority of the brave men and women who work tirelessly to serve and protect our communities every day do so honorably. And while NAPO supports improving policing practices, accountability with due process, and training in law enforcement, any policy must take into consideration the concerns and needs of both law enforcement and the communities they serve.  The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act does not do that.  It is a flawed bill rife with bad policies of which the entire premise is that all cops are bad.

The President cannot acknowledge that most cops are good cops and then urge Congress to pass the Justice in Policing Act. It is a contradiction. The partisan Justice in Policing Act was rejected twice by Congress, which recognized the harm it would do to public safety, officer safety, and the law enforcement profession. Our nation’s law enforcement officers want to know and trust that their elected officials from the President to the mayor to the county supervisor will support them when enforcing our nation’s laws.  By supporting the Justice in Policing Act, it erases any and all support for the profession and the officers who serve in it.

NAPO urges the President to recognize the Justice in Policing Act for the flawed policy it is and move forward to working with law enforcement organizations and representatives on policies that will not only restore trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve but also restore the trust of our nation’s officers that their rights will not be trampled on for political expediency.