Lehigh Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During National Police Week, Congresswoman Susan Wild is reaffirming her support and advocacy for local police departments in PA-07 as a co-sponsor of the recently re-introduced Invest to Protect Act. This bipartisan legislation will make critical investments in small and midsize police departments with fewer than 200 officers to support recruitment, training, retention, and mental health – a crucial step to meeting the needs of departments across Pennsylvania’s 7th district.

“In conversations with law enforcement officers across Pennsylvania Seven, one thing is clear: our small local departments need more resources to recruit, train, and retain staff,” said Congresswoman Susan Wild. “That’s why I’m co-sponsoring the Invest to Protect Act, to provide much-needed support to small and midsize police departments so they have the resources and training to protect and serve our neighborhoods.”

Rep. Wild has heard from police chiefs across PA-07 about the challenges facing their departments, a key one of those being personnel: recruiting, training, and retaining police officers to serve. Staff shortages cost departments extra in overtime pay, presenting budgetary challenges for small departments with personnel shortages that cost burden them in other areas of needed safety and technology improvements.

The Invest to Protect Act takes key steps to solve these recruitment, training, and retention issues to ensure small and midsize police departments have the resources to protect and serve their communities.

About the Invest to Protect Act

The bipartisan, bicameral Invest to Protect Act of 2023 will:

Create grants for small departments to recruit and retain new officers, to help keep their existing officers and recruit new ones – something of particular importance to PA-07 given many local departments face personnel shortages.

Invest in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training, to provide critical training that will make officers even more effective at their jobs.

Allow departments to provide mental health resources for their officers.

Authorize $50,000,000 of existing funding per year for 5 years for local police departments.

In the Senate, identical companion legislation is being introduced by Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

The bipartisan Invest to Protect Act is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Troopers Coalition (NTC), the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Tactical Officers Coalition, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, among others.

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Original source can be found here.