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THE WASHINGTON REPORT

04/09/2018

NAPO Washington Reports

In this issue of The Newsletter of the National Association of Police Organizations:

NAPO Supports Bill Providing Civil Liability Protections for Administration of Anti-Overdose Drugs
Bill Introduced to Increase Federal Support in Areas of Extreme Violent Crime
NAPO Endorses Bill to Help Ensure Cop-Killers Don’t Escape Justice
Blue Alert Advisory Group Receives Updates on National Network
NAPO on the Hill: Postal Police Benefits & Rights
NAPO’s Latest Legislative Positions & Sponsor/Cosponsor Updates
NAPO TOP COPS Awards® ; NAPO’s 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day

April 9, 2018

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NAPO Supports Bill Providing Civil Liability Protections for Administration of Anti-Overdose Drugs

NAPO has pledged its support for the Opioid Overdose Reduction Act of 2018 (H.R. 4955), sponsored by Representative Richard Neal (D-MA). This bill would provide certain protections from civil liability with respect to the emergency administration of opioid overdose drugs.

Synthetic drugs affect communities across the country, both big and small, and local law enforcement officers are on the front line in the fight against these drugs. More and more agencies are equipping their officers with Naloxone and similar anti-overdose drugs to help prevent overdose deaths from heroin and other opioids. By providing certain protections from civil liability for those who are authorized to administer anti-overdose drugs, including state and local law enforcement officers, the Opioid Overdose Reduction Act ensures that first responders will not hesitate to administer these lifesaving drugs.

We look forward to working with Representative Neal to pass this important legislation.

Bill Introduced to Increase Federal Support
in Areas of Extreme Violent Crime

NAPO supports the Safer Streets Act of 2018 (H.R. 4767), introduced by Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), which establishes a grant program under the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to help jurisdictions with high rates of violent crime with prevention and enforcement efforts.

Major cities across the country are facing an increase in violent crime for the first time in years. According to the FBI’s latest Uniform Crime Report, Crime in the United States, 2016, the number of violent crimes, including murder, aggravated assaults and rapes, increased for the second straight year. Further, violent crime rose more than seven percent in cities with a population of more than one million, and the murder rate spiked more than 20 percent in our nation’s largest cities.

The Safer Streets Act recognizes that additional federal resources are necessary to help cities and local jurisdictions fight this rise in violent crime through funding for hiring of additional law enforcement officers, purchasing surveillance equipment and establishing prevention programs. In many of these jurisdictions, police departments are facing officer shortages, which has led to longer response times and higher crime rates, making a fully staffed police department a priority for those localities already dealing with greater occurrences of violent crime. The Safer Streets Act gives these jurisdictions the support and resources they need to ensure the safety of their communities and the people they serve.

This legislation, coupled with strong funding for the COPS Hiring Program, will help ensure safer neighborhoods and communities across the nation and we will expend every effort to see it passed into law.

NAPO Endorses Bill to Help Ensure
Cop-Killers Don’t Escape Justice

Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced Eric’s Law (S. 2389), legislation that would require the impaneling of a new jury if a federal jury fails to unanimously recommend the death penalty.

Under current law, the murder or attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer is an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations in federal court. The death sentence may be imposed whether the officer was targeted or murdered on duty, because of the performance of their duty, or because of their status as a public official. Any persons contemplating harming a law enforcement officer must know that they will face serious punishments.

NAPO supports Eric’s Law because we believe it is critical to ensuring that justice is served, especially in cases where a federal law enforcement officer is murdered. Allowing cop killers to escape the utmost penalty under law is an affront to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our communities as law enforcement officers. This legislation protects against that by allowing federal prosecutors to empanel a second jury for the sentencing phase of a federal capital case if the first jury does not recommend by a unanimous vote that the defendant should be sentenced to death.

In addition to ensuring cop killers are punished by the strongest penalty under law, NAPO also strongly supports legislation, both at the federal and state level, that would increase penalties for crimes committed against law enforcement officers. Establishing stricter penalties for those who harm law enforcement officers will deter crime. Any person contemplating harming an officer must know that they will face serious punishments.

We will continue to work with key members of Congress such as Senators Toomey and Cornyn, who continue to be champions of this issue, to ensure that those who harm or attempt to harm public safety officers are subject to the strictest penalties.

Blue Alert Advisory Group
Receives Updates on National Network

The Blue Alert Advisory Group, of which NAPO is a member, held its first meeting of 2018 on March 28 to get updates on the work the Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office is doing to continue implementing the National Network and discuss the latest developments.

There have been two state Blue Alert incidents so far this year, one in Arizona and the other in North Dakota. On January 8, 2018, a man fleeing a traffic stop dragged a Chandler, Arizona police officer behind his car for a short distance and fled onto a nearby reservation. On January 18, 2018, a man tried to run over a Bismarck, North Dakota police officer who was assisting state parole and probation with a search warrant. In both cases, the Blue Alerts led to the suspects arrests and no further harm came to any officers.

South Dakota became the 29^th Blue Alert state in January, and in February, a Blue Alert bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania State Senate. 27 states had Blue Alert systems when the National Blue Alert Network was implemented at the end of 2016. With every state that creates a Blue Alert system, we increase protections for our nation’s law enforcement officers. The COPS Office continues to assist states establish their own Blue Alert systems to integrate into the National Network.

In addition to its efforts to expand the usage of Blue Alerts in states, the COPS Office is working to enhance Blue Alerts and their ability to reach the most people efficiently and effectively. Following up to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) December 2017 vote to give Blue Alerts a dedicated Emergency Alert System event code, the COPS Office submitted a filing to the FCC on March 19, seeking to further define and distinguish Blue Alerts from other “imminent threats” within wireless alerting regulations and protocols. This is purely a technical issue, but it would impact the efficiency of the alerts. The COPS Office also submitted a formal request to the Federal Highway Administration asking for approval of the use of changeable message signs for Blue Alerts, which has already been given to Amber Alerts. Many states with Blue Alert laws already allow the use of state changeable message signs for Blue Alerts, so approval from the Federal Highway Administration would essentially create national guidance on the usage of such signs for Blue Alerts.

Further, the COPS Office is working with the Attorney General’s Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative to promote Blue Alerts as part of a package that includes other life-saving alerts such as Silver Alerts and Amber Alerts, which would raise the profile of Blue Alerts nationally.

NAPO will continue to participate as part of the Advisory Group and keep our members updated on the status of the National Blue Alert Network. If your organization or agency is in a state that does not yet have a Blue Alert and you are interested in receiving information and resources on how to establish a Blue Alert plan, please contact Bill Johnson at bjohnson@napo.org.

NAPO on the Hill: Postal Police Benefits & Rights

On March 28, NAPO joined leadership of the Postal Police Officers Association (PPOA) – a NAPO member organization – in a meeting with staff of Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service. We also met with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), who has been leading the Senate’s postal reform efforts, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who supports increasing postal police officer retirement benefits, and Senator Jon Tester, who has been an outspoken supporter of postal police officers. Given their interest and roles in overseeing the Postal Service, the PPOA wanted to meet with these Senators to discuss the issues postal police officers have been facing with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The PPOA has long been fighting for greater pay and benefits for its members, who patrol in and around select postal facilities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. They are trained and certified federal police officers, protecting the public by making arrests for crimes committed on U.S. Postal Service Property. Despite their vital function as part of the Postal Service, which is prescribed by Congress, they are treated as security guards and not given their due respect.

In an effort to protect its members, the PPOA has filed an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint against the USPIS asserting that the USPIS has discriminated against Postal Police Officers because it is a majority non-white job classification within the USPIS. The EEO complaint plainly lays out that majority white job classifications within the USPIS – even ones similar to Postal Police Officers – have received better pay, benefits and working conditions, while the Postal Police Officers continue to be underpaid, overworked and undervalued.

With the filing of the EEO complaint, the USPIS did not attempt to call the PPOA back to the bargaining table to make amends, but rather began constructing their defense. The PPOA and the USPIS is currently at an impasse at the bargaining table, and the USPIS has indicated it is looking for a drawn-out mediation and arbitration process in the hopes that the PPOA is forced to take its last and final offer. NAPO supports the PPOA in its efforts to ensure its members have better wages, benefits and working conditions and we urged the Senators to support the PPOA’s efforts to ensure postal police officers are given the pay and benefits they deserve.

Senator McCaskill’s staff indicated the Senator would be interested in sending a letter to the USPIS and the Postal Service Office of Inspector General to gain a greater understanding of the case and ask why postal police officers, who perform such an important function in protecting our nation’s mail and mail carriers, are being treated in such a manner. Staff of Senators Carper, Booker and Tester all stated they would support Senator McCaskill’s efforts.

With postal reform efforts seemingly dead this Congress leaving little recourse for a legislative fix, Congressional pressure on the USPIS in this case is essential. NAPO will continue to work in conjunction with the PPOA to follow-up with staff to make certain they get all of the information they need to back the PPOA’s efforts.

NAPO’s Latest Legislative Positions
& Sponsor/Cosponsor Updates

NAPO’s updated “Sponsor/Cosponsor” spreadsheet is available at the following link: http://www.napo.org/washington-report/sponsor-cosponsor-spreadsheet/. The spreadsheet accompanies the latest “Legislative Positions” document, which is available at the following link: http://www.napo.org/washington-report/legislative-priorities/

The “Sponsor/Cosponsor” spreadsheet is a useful tool to check if your members of Congress have supported pieces of legislation that will impact our members. NAPO will update this spreadsheet regularly and continue to ensure our voice is heard on Capitol Hill.

If you have any questions about any of the legislation that NAPO is currently working,
please contact Andy Edmiston at: aedmiston@napo.org

NAPO TOP COPS Awards^® Update

THE OMNI SHOREHAM HOTEL IS SOLD OUT OVER TOP COPS AWARD AND POLICE WEEK

The Wardman Park Marriott and the Washington Marriott Hotels are conveniently located to the Omni Shoreham Hotel and are offering competitive rates for Police Week. Marriott reservations is 1-800-228-9290.

In addition, NAPO has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the River Inn Hotel in Washington D.C. The River Inn, ranked # 9 on Trip Advisor Washington, D.C. Hotels, is located just 2 miles from the Omni Shoreham Hotel and a short 2.5 blocks from the Foggy Bottom/George Washington Metro Station.

For Reservations please call (202) 337-7600 and tell them you are with TOP COPS. Reservation request may also be sent to dharris@modushotelsdc.com. In order to confirm the special rate of $235 please make reservations as soon as possible.

The River Inn

924 25^th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

Hotel Phone number: (202) 337-7600

NAPO’s 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day

May 15, 2018 ~ Omni Shoreham Hotel

Please join NAPO on Tuesday, May 15 for our Legislative Day on Capitol Hill. Use this opportunity to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators on behalf of your members concerning the issues which affect law enforcement. Prior to lobbying Capitol Hill, plan to attend NAPO’s Legislative Breakfast for an update on NAPO’s legislative priorities, results to date from the 115^th Congress and to receive handouts to use during Hill visits. Please note: due to The Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony, also scheduled for May 15, we will not be hosting an Awards Luncheon this year, instead presenting our Legislative Awards in the respective Senators’ & Representatives’ Offices.

Schedule of Events

Registration	Omni Shoreham Hotel	9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Legislative Update Breakfast	Omni Shoreham Hotel	9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Capitol Hill Visits	Capitol Hill	11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

For assistance setting up your Capitol Hill appointments, contact Andy Edmiston, NAPO’s Director of Governmental Affairs, at (800) 322-6276 or aedmiston@napo.org, by May 2.

The registration fee of $75.00 per person includes the Legislative Update Breakfast and Handouts for Congressional Visits. Advanced Registration is required. Please contact Elizabeth Loranger, NAPO’s Director of Events, at (800) 322-6278 or eloranger@napo.org if you have any questions regarding the seminar or hotel arrangements.

Please Register online or complete the registration form and return to NAPO at eloranger@napo.org
or Fax to (703) 684-0515 by MAY 4, 2018.

Become a Law Enforcement Organization Sponsor
25^thAnnual TOP COPS Awards^®

TOP COPSis quickly approaching. The 25^thAnnual TOP COPS Awards^® will take place on Monday, May 14. We hope you will be able to join us in Washington, D.C. to honor these outstanding men and women. To support our efforts in producing a deserving tribute, we are asking all NAPO members to please consider becoming a Law Enforcement Organization Sponsor:

$1,000 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 2 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception