Investing in public safety is critical in our work to support growth and prosperity in communities across Central and Southern Illinois. That means providing state-of-the-art training for members of law enforcement, recruiting and retaining dedicated first responders, supporting community policing and addressing our nation’s mental health crisis with the urgency it deserves.
- I’ve opposed calls to “defund” the police and supported a variety of federal grant programs that provide more resources to our local law enforcement agencies — particularly those in rural communities.
- If we want to improve public safety, it’s imperative that we provide our local law enforcement with the tools they need to do their jobs and keep people safe. In Congress, I secured $200,000 in new federal funding to the Gillespie Police Department. The funding will be used for key investments in street cameras and other technological upgrades that the community has needed for many years to increase safety for rural families.
- I secured $963,000 for the Champaign community, specifically for the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) on the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus. The project would allow for expanded and enhanced prevention, monitoring, and response to crimes in-progress in order to protect students and community members.
- I was proud to be endorsed by the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois in 2022 — the largest downstate police association made up of full-time and retired sworn police officers.
- I stand firmly with our law enforcement officers who risk their lives to keep us safe. That’s why I opposed President Trump’s decision to pardon those who stormed the Capitol on January 6th. These individuals carried out a violent attack against our officers and our democracy. Granting them pardons and allowing them back into our communities undermines the rule of law and poses a serious threat to public safety.
- There is no doubt that Congress must do more to address the fentanyl crisis – this is not only a public health issue, but a safety issue. I’ve worked across the aisle on solutions to the ongoing addiction and overdose crisis by supporting legislation like the STOP Fentanyl Overdoses Act, the Law Enforcement Officers Preventing Overdose Deaths Act and the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act which would help save lives and support folks in their recovery. This Congress, I will continue working across the aisle to find solutions that will save lives.
