A group of Republicans and Democrats came together Thursday to introduce the “Invest to Protect Act,” a bill that would establish a grant program to improve local police departments.
The bill is led by Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL), a former sheriff who served in law enforcement for more than four decades, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). It also has 36 co-sponsors from both parties.
The “Invest to Protect Act” focuses on improving officer safety and accountability and also helping local police departments with recruitment and training. The bill would also help police departments attract qualified recruits and retain good officers through signing and retention bonuses.
Officer safety and accountability through body cameras made up a large section of the bill. “Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish guidelines to be used by an eligible local government until such eligible local government establishes guidelines regarding purchasing, storage, operation, and securing of body cameras based on existing industry best-practices,” the text reads.
The introduction of the “Invest to Protect Act” comes after calls to “defund the police” took center stage after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. The drive gained significant momentum, as progressive activists had already spent years organizing, laying the groundwork to “reimagine public safety.”
Democratic efforts to defund the police partially succeeded in cities like Minneapolis and Portland, but the movement seems to have lost steam in recent months. In November, Minneapolis voters rejected a measure that “would have replaced the police department with a ‘department of public safety,’” according to a report from The Daily Wire. New York City, one of the most left-wing cities in the U.S., elected a mayor who pledged he would not defund the police department. Portland’s mayor also asked the city to invest in the police department in November.
The “Invest to Protect Act” would deal another blow to the “defund the police” narrative if it were to pass.
“This legislation sends an important message: we want our police officers to feel supported, especially when they are struggling with the realities of their profession,” Gottheimer said. “We want them to know that we have their backs and that they are appreciated for the job they do.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, calls to defund the police are flat out wrong. Our law enforcement folks put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and communities, and deserve our real gratitude,” said Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), a co-sponsor of the legislation. “They need resources for better pay, training, and equipment, like body cameras, to help them properly and safely do their jobs. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act because we must always support and defend our men and women who wear the uniform.”