Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to increase support for small law enforcement agencies passed the Senate unanimously. Cortez Masto’s Invest to Protect Act would set aside $250 million to help local police invest in training, mental health support, and recruitment and retention.
“The funding from this bill will help the vast majority of police departments across the country make meaningful investments in their officers and their communities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe – and for law enforcement in small suburbs, Tribes and rural areas, that stress is compounded by a lack of funding and few full-time officers. It’s time we gave them a leg up and delivered them the critical resources they need.”
“Many Iowans have told me they’re concerned about the low recruitment and retention rates of police officers in their communities,” said Senator Grassley. “The Senate’s unanimous support for this bill will bring us one step closer to unlocking local law enforcement’s access to critical resources to strengthen and grow their forces. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and I’ll work to protect our state’s courageous officers.”
Most law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are smaller than 175 full-time sworn officers, including all of Nevada’s rural sheriff’s departments and key suburban departments such as the Sparks Police Department. In Nevada and across the country, these small departments often struggle to access critical resources. Cortez Masto’s bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would establish a grant program through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to provide $250 million specifically to help these small law enforcement agencies make meaningful investments in their officers and communities. This bill is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading advocate in the Senate for our police officers and is part of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. She has secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program, the leading source of criminal justice funding in the country. Her bipartisan bills to combat the crisis of law enforcement suicide and provide mental health resources to police officers have been signed into law by presidents of both parties. Her BADGES for Native Communities Act, to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs with law enforcement recruitment and retention, recently passed the Senate.
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