[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7136-7137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       2011 NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, this afternoon I had the honor of attending 
the Top Cops event hosted by President Obama at the White House. I will 
be honored Sunday to attend the National Peace Officers Memorial 
ceremony. I appreciate the support the President is showing for our law 
enforcement officers not just this week but every week. Local law 
enforcement is critical to the peace and security of our families and 
communities in Vermont and across the country.
  In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation to designate 
May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date 
falls as Police Week. Every year during Police Week, thousands of law 
enforcement officers from around the country converge on Washington, 
DC, to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice keeping all of 
us safe. I want to mark this week by recognizing the heroic women and 
men in law enforcement who are dedicated to just that. More than 
900,000 law enforcement officers guard our communities at great risk to 
their safety every day. National Peace Officers Memorial Day provides 
the people of theUnited States, in their communities, in their state 
capitals, and in the Nation's Capital, with the opportunity to honor 
and reflect on the extraordinary service and sacrifice given year after 
year by the women and men who serve in police forces, as peace officers 
and in all branches of law enforcement.
  This week we honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty, 
and their families. In 2010, 153 law enforcement officers died while 
serving in the line of duty. Their bravery and sacrifice should not be 
forgotten. Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have 
been more than 19,000 law enforcement officers who have died in the 
line of duty.
  Late last week, the Senate passed a resolution I introduced to 
recognize those officers who lost their lives last year. I thank 
Senator Grassley for joining me in sponsoring that resolution. I am 
glad the Senate came together unanimously to show its strong support 
and appreciation of America's law enforcement officers.
  Keeping our communities safe is vitally important work and will 
always be dangerous, but we must work to keep those who protect us as 
safe as possible. The officers who lost their lives in 2010 are a stark 
reminder that we must not let up in our support of those who work day 
in and day out in the service of all of us and our communities.
  I was proud to champion bipartisan legislation first passed more than 
a decade ago which has authorized Federal funding to assist in the 
purchase

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of lifesaving bulletproof vests for law enforcement officers. I have 
worked hard to ensure that legislation is funded each year. From 1999 
through 2009, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program has helped 
provide more than 800,000 vests. Just last year, the program paid for 
95 new vests across Vermont. These vests have saved the lives of police 
officers across America.
  In these tough economic times, when towns and cities have had to 
tighten their belts and make tough decisions about their budgets, these 
grants are even more important to protect law enforcement officers. 
Congress must continue to support this initiative to increase the 
safety of those in the line of duty.
  Congress must also continue to support Federal assistance to state 
and local law enforcement. Consistent support for key Federal support 
initiatives like the COPS program, the Byrne/JAG program, and rural law 
enforcement grants are an important reason why crime rates have 
continued to decline even as the economy struggled and State budgets 
tightened. We were able to secure funding in the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act and renewed commitments in the appropriations process, 
which allowed police departments throughout the country to hire and 
maintain officers, buy needed equipment, and provide training.
  In the current budget environment, everyone has had to make 
sacrifices. Even the President, who has been a strong supporter of law 
enforcement, has called for modest cuts in Federal assistance to State 
and local law enforcement. What we cannot afford are the draconian cuts 
in law enforcement assistance that others are proposing. We owe it to 
our law enforcement professionals and to our communities to continue 
our much-needed support.

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