[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 262 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 262

Supporting the practice of community-oriented policing and encouraging 
           diversity hiring and retention in law enforcement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2015

    Ms. Lee (for herself, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Grijalva) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the practice of community-oriented policing and encouraging 
           diversity hiring and retention in law enforcement.

Whereas promoting trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities 
        they serve is critical to the stability of our communities, the 
        integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective 
        delivery of law enforcement services;
Whereas events in Ferguson, Missouri; Staten Island, New York; North Charleston, 
        South Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland, and other cities across the country 
        have highlighted the need for strong, collaborative relationships 
        between local police and the communities they serve and protect;
Whereas, on December 18, 2014, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 
        13684 to establish the Task Force on 21st Century Policing to examine 
        how to establish effective crime prevention strategies while also 
        building public trust between law enforcement and the communities they 
        serve;
Whereas the Task Force recommended that law enforcement agencies engage in 
        proven and successful community-policing tactics, such as combining a 
        focus on intervention and prevention through problem solving and 
        collaborative partnerships with schools, social services, and other 
        stakeholders;
Whereas the Task Force also recommended law enforcement departments should 
        strive to increase the diversity of their workforce;
Whereas the most recent period where statistics are available, the Bureau of 
        Justice Statistics found that 4,813 deaths occurred during or shortly 
        after law enforcement personnel attempted to arrest or restrain a 
        suspect, demonstrating the urgency to act on implementing the 
        recommendations in the report;
Whereas community-oriented policing is a philosophy that promotes the systematic 
        use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively 
        address the immediate conditions of public safety, crime, social 
        disorder, and fear of crime;
Whereas a 2007 survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found a commitment to 
        community policing may be more evident in departments with a formal, 
        written community-policing plan;
Whereas according to a 2007 survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 16 
        percent of police departments, employing 48 percent of officers, across 
        the country had a formal written community-policing plan;
Whereas Congress recognizes the vital role and practice that community-oriented 
        policing plays in building trust between law enforcement and the 
        communities they serve and protect;
Whereas a September 2014 study published in The New York Times, found that of 
        hundreds of police departments across the United States, the percentage 
        of Whites on the force is more than thirty percentage points higher than 
        in the communities they serve;
Whereas a 2007 survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on law 
        enforcement agencies in the United States found that only 1 in 4 local 
        police officers was a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and that 
        only 1 in 8 local police officers was a woman;
Whereas Congress recognizes that hiring and retaining law enforcement officers 
        that are more reflective of the community's racial and gender makeup it 
        serves and protects is critical to building trust between communities 
        and law enforcement;
Whereas since its inception, the Community Oriented Policing Services Program 
        (COPS) Office has invested approximately $14.7 billion to add officers 
        to the Nation's streets, enhance crime fighting technology, support 
        crime prevention initiatives, and provide training and technical 
        assistance to help advance community policing; and
Whereas Congress recognizes the critical role of the COPS Hiring Program Office 
        in expanding the practice of community-oriented policing to law 
        enforcement departments: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) finds that the lack of minority representation in law 
        enforcement across the country needs to be addressed;
            (2) calls on law enforcement departments to have a written 
        and formal plan of community-oriented policing;
            (3) commits to ensuring that the COPS Hiring Program has 
        the support and resources it needs to increase the hiring and 
        retention of diverse law enforcement officers;
            (4) encourages the Department of Justice, in collaboration 
        with the COPS office, to issue further guidance and best 
        practices on diversity hiring and retention of law enforcement 
        personnel, use of excessive and deadly force, and community-
        oriented policing strategies; and
            (5) urges the Bureau of Justice Statistics to provide an 
        annual report to Congress on the Department of Justice's 
        efforts to increase community-oriented policing and diversity 
        hiring and retention within law enforcement departments across 
        the country.
                                 <all>