Dear Senators Klobuchar and Grassley,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 3335, the “Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act.”
Every day, our law enforcement officers place their lives on the line to serve and protect their communities. The physical and mental stress of the job often means that officers will retire earlier than other professions, but many officers still wish to serve their communities after retiring from a law enforcement role. At a time when our law enforcement agencies are struggling with a recruitment and retention crisis, we should be doing everything in our power to allow our dedicated retirees to continue serving our communities.
These officers have a wealth of knowledge that could be used to support their communities in a non-police role. Your legislation would fund grant programs to help State and local law enforcement agencies hire retirees to train new officers as well as help perform civilian tasks. These tasks can include reviewing camera footage, helping with crime scene analysis, and assisting with investigations into cyber and financial crime.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your support on this issue. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President