[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2950-S2951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          National Police Week

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, peace and order are the indispensable 
pillars of a stable society. They grant us security in our daily lives, 
trust in our communities, and faith in our democratic institutions. 
Where peace and order reign, so too does society thrive and prosper, 
but none of that is possible without our Nation's 700,000 men and women 
in blue.
  Each and every day, these brave sons and daughters--brave souls--
stand up for all of us. Each and every day, they stand guard, ready to 
do justice or risk harm--all on our behalf. So today I rise on behalf 
of a grateful Nation to recognize them. Their performance is 
exceptional, and their sacrifice is immense.
  Far too often, we take our police officers for granted. Far too 
often, we forget how hard it is to win and how easy it is to lose the 
peace and order that we all enjoy, but our police officers never 
forget. They are always at the ready. As we honor them this week, we 
remember that the question is not ``What causes violence or what causes 
crime?'' but rather, ``What causes peace, and what causes security?''
  The answer is our men and women in blue.
  In celebration of our National Police Week, I wish to express my 
profound appreciation for our Nation's law enforcement community--the 
courageous men and women who each day put the safety of others before 
their own. Their success is impossible to fully measure. It cannot be 
counted in crime statistics or etched into medals. It can only be seen 
in the peace and order that their sacrifice makes possible.
  Therefore, allow me for a moment to speak directly to our police 
officers.
  Trust that your selflessness does not go unseen, that your service 
does not go unfelt, and that your sacrifice does not go unknown. We 
appreciate you, we support you, and we honor you. Law enforcement is 
among the noblest of professions. You are the brave guardians among us 
who fight for peace and protect the vulnerable from harm. On behalf of 
a grateful nation, I wish to thank you and your families for bearing 
the burden, shouldering the sacrifice, and making us all proud.
  Let it be known that I proudly back the blue.
  This is a critical moment to show the police our support. We live in 
a time when law enforcement officials are not only underappreciated but 
often maligned and, quite often, openly disparaged. Day in and day out, 
they suffer criticism and pressure. This week we let them know of our 
respect and admiration.
  Today, I wish to express my gratitude for our men and women in 
uniform by sharing stories of their heroism. You see, we hear all about 
police mistakes, and we hear wall-to-wall coverage of the 
controversies, but we seldom hear about the acts of bravery and 
professionalism that distinguish our police officers as the finest in 
the world. In particular, I would like to relate the account of Utahns 
Bre and Kayli Lasley, two sisters whose lives were saved by an on-duty 
police officer.
  In September 2015, a man armed with a knife climbed through a bedroom 
window in Bre and Kayli's Salt Lake City apartment. Once inside, he 
brutally beat both sisters before pulling out a knife and repeatedly 
stabbing Bre. Just as the attacker raised his knife to Bre's throat, 
Salt Lake City police officer Ben Hone charged into the room. He told 
the intruder to drop his knife.
  In that critical moment, with lives literally hanging in the balance, 
Bre remembers:

       That's when I saw the officer, and he was our angel . . . I 
     looked at the officer in his eyes, and he was so professional 
     and calm.

  When the attacker refused to surrender his weapon, Officer Hone 
raised his service pistol and fired, killing the armed intruder and 
saving Bre's life. In that moment, Officer Hone was truly Bre's 
guardian angel.
  She remembers:

       When [we] made eye contact, I knew I was safe. It's a 
     miracle that he had so much composure and was able to take 
     that shot.

  In recognition of his heroism, Officer Ben Hone was honored by the 
National Associations of Chiefs of Police and the American Police Hall 
of Fame as the 2015 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. I think it was 
an honor richly deserved.
  Officer Hone survived that day. For that, we give thanks, but the sad 
reality is that many lose their lives in the line of duty. So today I 
wish to honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice 
and paid the highest price that society can ask. Our debt to them will 
not--indeed, cannot--be repaid.
  Among the fallen is Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Ellsworth, who 
died only a few days after being struck by a car while on duty in Box 
Elder County. We also mourn the passing of West Valley City police 
officer Cody Brotherson and Greater Salt Lake Unified Police Department 
officer Douglas Barney, who were both killed in the line of duty this 
past year in Utah.
  I express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of these 
brave heroes and the countless others who have experienced similar 
tragedies.
  Although we cannot bring these officers back, we can honor their 
legacies by committing ourselves to supporting their brothers and 
sisters in uniform. To that end, I have introduced and cosponsored a 
number of bills this Congress that are meant to assist law enforcement 
as they serve our communities. These bills include the Rapid

[[Page S2951]]

DNA Act, the Probation Officer Protection Act, and the Child Protection 
Improvements Act. Just yesterday, I joined Senator Coons in introducing 
the U.S. Marshals Service Hiring Improvement Act, which was named in 
honor of U.S. Marshals Service deputy Patrick T. Carothers, who was a 
26-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service who died in the line of 
duty in Georgia in November 2016.
  Last week, I was grateful to see the Senate Judiciary Committee 
favorably report my bipartisan bill--the Rapid DNA Act of 2017. This 
critical legislation, which has garnered support from the National 
Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and 
the National District Attorneys Association, updates the law and 
leverages advancements in rapid DNA technology to expedite analysis in 
the FBI's Combined DNA Index System. If enacted, this commonsense 
proposal will enable law enforcement to analyze DNA in record time, 
reducing backlogs in rape kits and keeping violent criminals off of our 
streets. By facilitating the use of rapid DNA technology, this bill 
will also help to exonerate those wrongly accused of crime.
  The Rapid DNA Act has received strong support from U.S. Attorney 
General Sessions. During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General 
Sessions said:

       Rapid DNA analysis is a hugely important issue for the 
     whole American criminal justice system. It presents 
     tremendous opportunities to solve crimes in an effective way 
     and produce justice because it's the kind of thing that you 
     can't fake or mislead, so I am very strongly in favor of 
     it.''

  In remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee, former FBI Director 
James Comey said that the Rapid DNA Act ``will help us change the world 
in a very exciting way,'' and it ``will materially advance the safety 
of the people of the United States.''
  Each time I talk to a police officer, I always hear nearly the same 
thing. They have no need for fanfare or fame. All they need is the 
public's support and the tools necessary to do the job. In 
commemoration of National Police Week, let's make sure to give them 
both. I encourage my colleagues to join me in passing these bills and 
in showing our heroes in blue the gratitude and admiration they 
deserve.