Over 146 officer fatalities per year. That is a shocking number. One officer killed somewhere in america every 60 hours. All right. But the good news is that numbers are going down. If you go back to the 1970s we were averaging 231 officers killed in the line of duty each and every year. That means the 146 number i cited is 37 lower than it was 40 years ago. That is at a time we have double number of officers serving and putting themselves at risk. Would you have expected that number would have gone up, not down. There are a number of factors that are responsible for that and i have enumerated some of them in my written testimony. I want to just spend a moment though reemphasizing the leadership that the attorney general of the United States eric holder, has focused on issue of officer safety and wellness. Im not sure he is getting enough credit for his leadership. Just a few years ago, when deaths were spiking, 171 officers killed in 2011 he held a summit in his office with about 40 L
We have one on skype. Well start with chief zachery, the Public Safety director woodway, texas, and immediate past president of the International Association of chiefs of police. Yost, good to have you. Thank you, sir. Thanks for inviting me to testify today. My name is yost zachery, immediate past president of the im sorry i wasnt able to join you in person today. I intended to but my flights were canceled. I began Law Enforcement dispatcher woodway in 1979 and im still there today and currently serve as a chief and a director of the Public Safety department. One of my main duties as a chief is to ensure safety and wellbeing of my officers is there. This means making sure they have the proper training and equipment they need to do their job safely so they can return home each and every day to their loved one. During my time as president iecp, officer safety and wellness was one of my top priorities. Its always been a top priority of iecp. It is the position of that organization that n
Im proud to be a part of. Its jointly under the auspices of the cops office and the bureau of justice assistance. This is done tremendous good in training more than 15,000 officers across this country. Finally, hes increased the federal grant money thats gone to groups like ours and others who are focused on officer safety and wellness. Those are just some great examples of the leadership hes provided. I dont think its any coincidence that as a result of all of those efforts, the last two years now, weve seen fewer Law Enforcement fatalities than any year for the last 50. Thats a great credit to leadership and to this group and so many others focused on this issue. A lot more work clearly needs to be done. I look at canada as a great role model for us here in the United States. Ive attended their memorial service, two out of the last three years. Two years ago, they honored all the officers in canada who had been killed in the line of duty. One officer during a 12month period killed in
Bulletproof vest program, Critical Resources to enable state and local Law Enforcement jurisdiction to purchase their lifesaving vests. It is imperative the program be funded and reauthorized with Adequate Funding. Physical wellness is a huge part of an officers safety. A fit officer will be able to serve his or her Community Better as well as provide better support to his or her fellow officers. It is imperative chiefs promote wellness within their departments and encourage their officers to get regular physical checkups and exercise frequently. The iecp center for officer safety and wellness can be a resource for Law Enforcement in this area. The center promotes health and wellness as part of reducing officer injuries initiative. Iecp released the impact of fitness and weight on injuries fact sheet, reducing officer injuries final report, which highlights the importance of physical wellness. Recently iecp also released two resources examining the importance of officer nutrition. A gu
Forgive them when they permit impatience to lead them astray, making them miss the wonder of and majesty of your purpose for our nation and world. Lord, renew in our senators the joy of belonging to you as they lovingly yield to your guidance. Direct their steps so that no duty will be left undone and no constructive words will be left unsaid. We pray in your great name. The presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington d. C. , july 28, 2022. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable jacky rosen, a senator from the state of nevada, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patrick j. Leahy, president