Problem Solvers Caucus Backs Bipartisan Bills to Bolster Investments in Police Departments Across the Country
WASHINGTON, DC– As the nation kicks off National Police Week today, the Problem Solvers Caucus announced its endorsement of two bipartisan bills aimed at bolstering resources and investments in law enforcement, the Invest to Protect Act of 2022 and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act of 2022. Both bills would provide increased federal investment to help police departments across the country recruit and retain officers and assist with other aspects of community policing and training.
The COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act would reauthorize the COPS on the Beat Grant Program and update it to ensure that all law enforcement agencies throughout the country – regardless of size, location, or regional income level – can access it.
The Invest to Protect Act would create new targeted investment for small departments to obtain needed equipment, support, and training while allowing them to utilize funds for meaningful investments in their officers and communities.
Co-Chairs Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) brought the Invest to Protect Act for endorsement, and Reps. Tom Rice (SC-07) and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) brought the COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act for Caucus endorsement. Both pieces of legislation garnered the support of more than 75 percent of the Caucus and are supported by several law enforcement organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, and the National Association of Police Organizations.
“Every day, our brave law enforcement wake up, put on a bulletproof vest, kiss their spouses and children goodbye, and put their lives on the line to look out for us. That’s why we must always get the backs of our first responders, and all those who serve our nation. With my bipartisan, bicameral legislation, we will make critical investments in our law enforcement, in training and tools, in recruiting and retaining the best talent, and in ensuring they have the resources they need to keep themselves and our communities safe,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Problem Solvers Co-Chair, and lead House sponsor of the Invest to Protect Act. “I’m proud that my bipartisan legislation has now been endorsed by the Problem Solvers Caucus, as we focus on commonsense, bipartisan action that can actually get done.”
“Our hero law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect their communities. At a minimum, we must ensure that our officers, especially those in small departments across the country that often lack adequate funding, are provided with the training, equipment, and resources they need to work in the field safely,” said Problem Solvers Co-Chair Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). “I am proud to support bipartisan legislation, which will make meaningful investments in our local law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”
“Police officers keep all kinds of communities safe, but those in rural and low-income communities often face barriers to doing their jobs effectively and efficiently,” said Rep. Tom Rice (SC-07), lead House sponsor of the COPS on the Beat Grant Reauthorization and Parity Act. “By endorsing the COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act, the Problem Solvers Caucus is taking action by improving law enforcement relations, budgets, and trainings. I’m proud of the bipartisan support this legislation has received and the thoughtful and targeted solutions it will deliver to South Carolina and the nation.”
“I want to thank the Problem Solvers Caucus for endorsing my bipartisan COPS on the Beat Program Reauthorization and Parity Act, which I’m proud to lead with my friend and colleague Congressman Rice. As a former federal law enforcement officer, I know that our legislation would help keep our communities safe — while also strengthening relationships between law enforcement officers and the people they serve,” said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07). “Since coming to Congress, I have heard directly from Virginia’s police chiefs and sheriffs about the difficulties they’ve faced in recruiting and retaining officers in their areas — especially during the pandemic. By more than doubling federal funding for the COPS Program, our legislation would help increase officer pay and reduce the amount of stress placed on our local police forces each day.”
“As a former police officer and homicide detective, I wholeheartedly support these commonsense, bipartisan bills that raise salaries for our hardworking officers and send new funding to small police departments in need of resources,” said Rep. Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01). As we honor National Police Week, we keep in mind not only our brave officers in the field, but the families and loved ones who support them at home—each make immense sacrifices that help keep our communities safe.”
“In order for communities in Southwest Washington and across the nation to remain safe, we must invest in a well-trained, well-equipped police force. Chasing good police officers away or cutting their funding is not the answer. That’s why I’m proud to champion both these bills to significantly expand efforts to hire, train, and retain officers who can help protect citizens,” Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) said.
“Central Coast law enforcement officers work hard every day to protect our communities, combat gun violence, and keep our families safe. These two bipartisan measures would ensure police departments in my district get the resources they need to do their jobs,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24). “The COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act and the Invest to Protect Act will give local police departments the resources they need to recruit, train, and retain high-quality officers without having to worry about competing with big city police departments for funding.”
“Rural law enforcement agencies are hitting an impasse when trying to hire qualified individuals to serve their communities because they typically have less resources to pay decent compensation,” said Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02). “This legislation will greatly assist those communities in recruiting police officers and improve training to serve their communities to the best of their ability and keep them safe.”
“Rural law enforcement agencies in Maine and across the country are struggling to recruit, retain, and equip the number of officers needed to keep their communities safe,” said Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02). “Congress needs to step up to help states, towns, and counties address this issue, and I’m glad to see growing support from both parties for common-sense, bipartisan legislation to do so. The Problem Solvers Caucus is continuing to make support for law enforcement a priority, including endorsing two bills I’m helping to lead that would strengthen the COPS grant program with a focus on rural areas and invest in law enforcement officers.”
“Local law enforcement agencies play an essential role in our communities, and it is critical that they, regardless of size, have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” said Rep. Peter Meijer (MI-03). “Providing smaller departments with increased opportunities to secure funding for needed trainings and equipment, mental health services for their officers, and recruitment and retention programs will ensure our local police are best equipped to serve their communities. I am proud to endorse this bipartisan legislation. It sends a clear signal of support to local law enforcement and ensures communities of all sizes can prioritize public safety.”
“The COPS on the Beat Program has been essential to supporting local police departments all across Michigan, providing federal grants to help hire new officers and develop new training,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) said. “Our local law enforcement have made enormous sacrifices throughout the pandemic to protect our communities, with recruiting and retaining officers being a constant struggle. Reauthorizing the COPS Program will help make sure Michigan’s police departments have well-trained officers who are earning competitive salaries and committed to staying on the force. This is an important bipartisan effort, and I urge the Democratic leadership to bring this bill to the floor immediately.”
“Police departments in small communities, like many in the Central Valley, need our support today more than ever before. I’m proud to cosponsor bipartisan legislation that will ensure our brave men and women in law enforcement have the tools and resources they need to serve and protect our communities,” said Rep. David Valadao (CA-21).
“Local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect us, and we owe it to them to ensure they have the resources they need to continue to protect our communities,” said Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03). “I was proud to help introduce both of these bills to support our local police officers, and I’m so thrilled that they’ve earned the endorsement of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Public safety is one of my top priorities in Congress, and I’ll always fight to keep Nevadans safe and get our law enforcement heroes the support they need.”
“Our local law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way each day to keep our communities safe, and the COPS grant program directly funds the training, hiring and salaries of many police departments, including at the Anaheim Police Department,” said Rep. Young Kim (CA-39). “I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the COPS on the Beat Program Reauthorization and Parity Act and thank my Problem Solvers Caucus colleagues for coming together in support of our local law enforcement. I’ll always be an unwavering voice for law enforcement and their important work to keep communities safe.”
“Our small police departments should not be left behind,” said Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16). “If we want to see real reforms that make a difference in our communities, it’s important to realize that one size does not fit all. The overwhelming majority of our police forces across America and in my district have less than 100 personnel with stretched budgets. This legislation will help ensure these agencies have the necessary resources to invest in best practices and hire qualified people.”
“Our brave men and women in blue put their lives on the line for us every single day,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY-02). “With rising crime and anti-police sentiment making policing all the more difficult, it is imperative that law enforcement be given the resources they need to keep our communities, and themselves, safe. I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that will support law enforcement officers in their tireless efforts to protect our communities, give officers a raise, and provide federal dollars to build upon successful crime reduction efforts.”
“As our law enforcement officials continue to address pressing public safety challenges, they need resources and support,” said Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01). “That’s why I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation that will fund local police departments and equip them with the resources and training needed to keep our communities safe. Our police officers and first responders answer the call of duty every day, and I remain committed to advocating for them in Congress.”
“The COPS Hiring Program has provided crucial support to local law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico. Since 2012, the program has invested over $16.2 million to help 22 municipalities on the Island hire or rehire 221 police officers,” said Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL). “That’s why I’m proud to stand with my Problem Solvers Caucus colleagues in supporting the COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act and the Invest to Protect Act. These two pieces of legislation will provide additional flexibilities to ensure more small, low-income, and rural law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico and across the rest of the United States can continue accessing federal resources to hire officers, acquire equipment, and keep our communities safe.”
The Invest to Protect Act would provide federal investment to small departments to:
- Make investments in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training, while allowing resources to offset overtime pay when officers are in training.
- Increase access to body worn cameras while also investing in data storage and security.
- Provide grants to recruit new officers and offer retention bonuses to help communities keep existing officers.
- Offer mental health resources to officers.
More than 95% of the nation’s local police departments have 200 officers or fewer.
Read the full text of the Invest to Protect Act of 2022 here.
The COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act would:
- Reauthorize the COPS on the Beat Grant Program for 10 years.
- Allow for COPS grants to be used to increase wages for officers in low-income communities.
- Open access to COPS grants for low-income, rural communities by lowering the initial non-federal match minimum and gradually increasing over four years.
- Put all law enforcement agencies on a level playing field by removing the preference for agencies that can afford a higher match than required.
- Codify a stand-alone COPS Office within the U.S. Department of Justice, which was established to distribute COPS grants but has never been made permanent in law.
- Require the GAO to produce reports in FY2026 and FY2031 on how representative law enforcement agency workforces are of their communities, the percentage of officers that live in the jurisdiction served, average pay compared to cost of living of jurisdiction, and legislative and administrative recommendations for improving these data points.
The COPS program was first authorized in 1994, again reauthorized in 2005, and its authorization expired in FY2009. Although the COPS program has continued to receive appropriations, annual funding levels have been significantly lower since LY2011.
Read the full text of the COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act here.