POLICE Act Will Allow Grant Funding to be Used to Prepare for Active Shooter Situations
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX) issued the following statements after President Obama signed their bill, the POLICE Act, into law Friday:
Sen. Cornyn: “As the city of Dallas tragically found out this month, communities across the country can be confronted with an active shooter situation at any moment. I’m glad the President has signed this bill into law so we can help our first responders be better prepared and keep our communities safe.”
Rep Carter: “The threat of active shooters is increasingly real as we have seen in Dallas, Orlando, and San Bernardino. Sadly, many first responders believe it is not if, but when, extremists will again terrorize our nation. The POLICE Act will help ensure our first responders are prepared for this situation. I am pleased that President Obama has signed this bill into law to provide training for more responders, and to help keep our communities safe.”
Background on the POLICE Act
The POLICE Act revises the rules of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) to allow law enforcement and medical personnel across the country to use federal grant funds to train and better prepare for active shooter situations, including training civilians how to respond if confronted by an active shooter. Representative John Carter (R-TX) introduced a version of the POLICE Act in the House of Representatives in February, and Senator Cornyn introduced the Senate version in April. The bill is supported by the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Department of Justice’s VALOR program.
