Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the COPS Program

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“This is the first-ever full Committee oversight hearing on the COPS program. It’s an example of our continued commitment to revitalizing this Committee’s oversight role.

The COPS Office was created to advance the vision of community policing and build trust between law enforcement and the public. By many metrics, the program is realizing its goal. As a result of COPS funding, over 135,000 police officers have been hired and placed on the beat at the state and local level. COPS funding for law enforcement training programs has improved the effectiveness of our police.

The COPS Office’s PASS grants have provided funds for scenario-based training to prepare officers to safely and effectively manage active-shooter events and other violent threats.

This year, the COPS Office will begin providing funding for de-escalation training for local law enforcement officers. This is thanks to the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Cornyn and Coons that this Committee approved and President Biden signed.

We have also authorized the COPS office to provide grants for mental health services for officers, recognizing that law enforcement is indeed a very stressful job and takes its toll on many officers. Last year, this Committee advanced legislation to allow COPS grants to be used to recruit and retain new officers and to provide training for those who agree to serve in the communities where they live. These bills passed the Senate unanimously and are now awaiting passage in the House. I hope Speaker Johnson will move these bills quickly.

Contrary to many political claims that are not true, Democrats do not support defunding the police. The Senate has consistently supported the COPS program with new appropriations, including over $600 million this fiscal year.

There are countless examples of police officers who have acted heroically, risking their lives, and in some instances, giving their lives in response to an emergency. They’ve saved the lives of many innocent people in the process… We also must acknowledge the breakdown in trust between law enforcement officers and some of the communities they serve.

I called last year for a national conversation about policing in a responsible, constitutional, and humane way. I still believe that conversation is urgently needed. Our communities deserve real transparency in policing and real accountability for misconduct.

Proposals for more comprehensive reforms to policing, such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, have also been made. We need to pass these reforms to fully repair the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. And, we can do more to leverage the expertise and capacity of the COPS Office to advance community-oriented policing that serves and protects us.”

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