A bill from two members of the Florida delegation with a background in law enforcement--Republican U.S. Rep. John Rutherford and Democrat U.S. Rep. Val Demings--teamed up this week to unveil a proposal cracking down on criminals who attack law enforcement officers.
Rutherford, who served as Duval County sheriff, and Demings, who was chief of the Orlando Police Department, brought out the “Protect and Serve Act” on Tuesday. According to Rutherford’s office, the bill creates “create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence” including life sentences if police officers are killed or kidnapped.
The two members of the Florida delegation noted that there has been an increase of police officers attacked in the line of duty.
“As a career law enforcement officer and sheriff of Jacksonville for 12 years, I know what officers go through every day when they put on their uniform, say goodbye to their families, and go out on the streets doing the important work of protecting our communities,” said Rutherford. “With an uptick in ambush attacks on law enforcement, like we saw last month in Trenton, Florida, we must ensure that there are steep consequences for anyone who targets our law enforcement officers. The Protect and Serve Act will serve as a significant deterrent for anyone who deliberately targets officers with violence. I want to thank my friend, Congresswoman Val Demings for her leadership on this bill and for her support of law enforcement officers across the country.”
“After 27 years in law enforcement, I believe that officers must hold themselves to the highest standards, be accountable to their communities, and perform their duties with honor and integrity,” Demings said. “There has been a 75 percent increase in officers shot and killed this year. Ambush-style killings have taken numerous officers’ lives. Last month, two sheriff’s deputies here in Florida were assassinated while eating lunch. We must give our officers the tools, training, and protections needed to be safe on the job. I call on my colleagues in Congress to do our job so our officers can do theirs.”
The bill has the support of the National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs, Sergeants Benevolent Association and the National Fraternal Order of Police. On Tuesday, the bill was sent to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. So far, there is no counterpart over in the U.S. Senate.
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