Ruben Gallego secures funding for law enforcement
Gathering at Buckeye City Hall, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn and Buckeye Police Chief Bob Sanders celebrated increased federal funding for local law enforcement and recommitted to additional investments in Arizonans’ safety.
Gallego secured the funding.
“Whether you live in Downtown Phoenix, a growing community like Buckeye, or a rural county — you deserve to feel safe at home, at work, and at school. It’s first responders who make that a reality, and we must have their backs,” Gallego said.
“Thanks to bipartisan negotiations, this year, we secured an increase in funding to support local law enforcement. It’s exactly the type of smart, targeted investment we need to keep Arizonans safe, and it’s what I’ll keep fighting for.”
“Buckeye remains one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and because of our growth, we lean on the federal government for funding to help deter crime and keep our community safe,” Orsborn said.
“I am grateful to Congressman Gallego for his work to increase federal funding for these programs and for fighting for resources for smaller communities, like Buckeye, to obtain its fair share of these program dollars.”
Thanks to government funding Gallego helped secure in March, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) programs — the two main federal grant programs for local law enforcement efforts — are receiving an annual increase of $75 million and $109 million, respectively.
During his time in Congress, Gallego has voted for more than $168 billion in law enforcement funding, including over $2.2 billion for the COPS.
In May, in honor of National Police Week, Gallego announced his efforts to address the ongoing law enforcement shortage and recruit, train, and retain officers. These include:
Backing the Strong Communities Act, bipartisan legislation that would build stronger relationships between police and the communities they serve by incentivizing law enforcement officers to work in the communities where they live.
Backing the bipartisan Recruit and Retain Act to increase the recruitment of new and qualified officers by reducing application and recruiting costs associated with finding new talent.
During National Police Week 2023, Gallego announced his support for the Invest to Protect Act, bipartisan legislation to help small and mid-sized police departments, including Tribal police departments, recruit and provide safety training, de-escalation training, and mental health support for their officers.
Earlier in 2023, he introduced the Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act, a bipartisan bill that strengthens Tribal law enforcement and increases public safety in Indian Country.
Gallego is a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee.
By: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Source: West Valley View