Honoring Mid-Michigan’s Finest

National Police Week is an opportunity to thank the brave men and women who put on the badge every day and run toward danger to put the safety of others first. These officers work long hours, miss time with their families, and willingly place themselves in harm’s way to protect people they’ve never met and keep our communities safe.

Today, National Peace Officers Memorial Day, also serves as a solemn reminder to honor the law enforcement heroes who tragically lost their life in the line of duty. These heroes gave their lives protecting our communities, defending the rule of law, and keeping American families safe. We will never forget their courage, their service, or the tremendous sacrifice they and their families made for this great nation.

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Throughout the week, I met with a number of law enforcement officers from mid-Michigan, both back home and in Washington, D.C. This included the Leslie community where we recognized local officers and thanked them for their service. I was also glad to welcome a group of officers from the Michigan Police Officers Association who were in town for National Police Week events. 

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At a time when anti-police rhetoric and policies have made the jobs of officers more difficult, Congress has a responsibility to support our law enforcement as they keep people safe and crack down on crime. That’s why this week, the House adopted several pieces of legislation to ensure officers have the tools and resources they need to keep dangerous criminals off our streets. This includes:

• The Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act to crack down on bail fraud that allows violent criminals to walk free.
• The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to help law enforcement across the country take on the sophisticated criminal organizations that are stealing goods from retailers and selling them for a profit.
• The Cashless Bail Reporting Act to make transparent to taxpayers and law enforcement entities which jurisdictions are utilizing cashless bail to let criminals walk free with no incentive to appear in court.
• A resolution to praise our law enforcement officers and commemorate the 111 officers who died in the line of duty last year.

The bottom line is simple: Mid-Michigan families deserve safe communities, and that starts with supporting the brave men and women who wear the badge. During National Police Week and year round, we should proudly stand behind the officers who selflessly protect and serve our communities.