National Police Week, a time when law enforcement and the public gather to remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty, began on Sun, May 14.
In honor of the week, local Congressman David Valadao co-sponsored the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act, legislation aimed at providing local police departments with less than 200 police officers funding to put towards de-escalation training and mental health services.
Valadao released a statement after the announcement.
"Police Departments in smaller communities often struggle with having enough funding to recruit, train, and provide resources for their officers, leading to increased stress on our existing force and putting the safety of our communities at risk," said Valadao. "This concerning trend has had a disproportional effect on small, rural law enforcement agencies like many of those in the Central Valley."
“We must increase our investment in public safety and make sure our existing law enforcement officers know they have our support," he continued. "I’m proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing the Invest to Protect Act to provide officers with the resources they need to keep themselves and our community safe."
