WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Yellowhammer News recapping a roundtable he hosted during National Police Week with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials about how Congress can make sure police have the resources and support to keep our communities safe. In the piece, he recaps what he heard firsthand from law enforcement about the lasting effects of the “Defund the Police” movement, recruitment challenges, the opioid crisis, human trafficking, and President Biden’s wide-open border.
Read excerpts below or the full op-ed here.
“Last week was National Police Week. But, if you ask me, one week isn’t nearly enough to sufficiently honor the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect our communities. I hosted a roundtable discussion with several of my Senate colleagues and law enforcement officials, both from Alabama across the country, to discuss what Congress can do to ‘back the blue.’
I listened to first-hand accounts of how Joe Biden’s soft-on-crime agenda has empowered criminals and made it riskier than ever to be a cop. Pam Bondi, former Attorney General of Florida, moderated the roundtable. She shared how one of the most difficult parts of the job was attending the funerals of the men and women killed in the line of duty. She turned to Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who was Florida Governor when she served as Attorney General, and said, ‘We’ve been to way too many funerals together, Rick.’
I heard about the many police officers who hug their spouses every morning not knowing if they will make it safely home that night. Sadly, my home state of Alabama lost three officers in 2023—Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby, Montgomery Policy Officer Carlos Taylor, and Alabama Port Authority police officer Kimberly Sickafoose. I pray that their names will never be forgotten—and am tremendously grateful for their service to our state.
During the roundtable, we discussed many challenges facing the state and local law enforcement community, including rising crime in both urban and rural areas, drug smuggling, consequences of President Biden’s open border policies, and the impact the ‘Defund the Police’ movement has had on law enforcement recruitment and retention. Our officers are overwhelmed, work at peak capacity, and fear retaliation from bad actors who will seize any opportunity to make a cop look bad on the national stage. […]
I will never stop fighting to make sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to do their jobs. But that isn’t enough—our officers need to know that we have their backs. Hopefully we get a Commander in Chief in the White House who will actually enforce our laws and support the work our law enforcement officers are doing to keep our country safe. If we do nothing to punish those who break our laws and endanger our communities, we have lost the very nature of this country—a sovereign nation that values and respects the rule of law.”
BACKGROUND:
Senator Tuberville was joined in the roundtable by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Rick Scott (R-FL).
The panel was moderated by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. The panelists who participated included former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, former Executive Director of the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Dean Kueter, Chief Counsel to Alabama Attorney General Katherine Robertson, Hoover Chief of Police Nick Derzis, and Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry.
Senator Tuberville believes that the dangerous anti-police, anti-American rhetoric from the left has demoralized law enforcement and made our communities more dangerous. He believes it is our responsibility not only to ensure law enforcement officers have the resources they need, but also to have their backs. Sen. Tuberville recognized last week as National Police Week and paused to remember police who have been killed in the line of duty over the past year.
Sen. Tuberville recognized National Police Week last year by introducing the Back the Blue Act. The legislation would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
More information about Senator Tuberville’s work to protect, defend, and support law enforcement can be found below.
- Tuberville Leads Law Enforcement Roundtable During National Police Week
- Tuberville Supports “National Police Week” Resolution, Honors Fallen Officers
- Tuberville Introduces Back the Blue Act to Protect Officers, Recognizes National Police Week
- Tuberville Honors Fallen Alabama Law Enforcement After National Police Weekend
- WHAT ARE THEY SAYING: Support Grows for Tuberville’s Empowering Law Enforcement Act
- Tuberville Addresses Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police Conference
- Tuberville: America’s Law Enforcement Need More Support, Not Less
- Tuberville: All Senate Democrats Pounce at Chance to Distance Themselves from ‘Defund Police’ Rhetoric
- Tuberville, Colleagues Resolution to Commemorate National Police Week Passes Senate
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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