Holder Promises Continued Support for Local Law Enforcement (US Conf of Mayors)
Safe Cities Critical for a Strong Economy
Addressing mayors during the Winter Meeting’s closing luncheon January 22, Attorney General Eric Holder pledged to continue to “strengthen the federal-local bonds we’ve developed through the COPS and Byrne/JAG programs.”
“Because of your commitment to communicating with us and advocating on behalf of those you represent, we have a better understanding of how to help advance your work,” Holder told the mayors. “We know that our cities need sustainable, dependable, and flexible support for local law enforcement. We know we must continue to push for the resources you need,” he continued.
Holder also spoke of the “important duty to protect the safety of our law enforcement officers.” He announced that $11 million will be available for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, enough to provide an estimated 26,000 additional bullet-resistant vests.
The Attorney General also thanked the mayors for helping the Justice Department to understand the crime problem in cities and how best to address it. “You also play an important role in the Justice Department’s work,” he said. “Your guidance makes a critical difference. Our mayors and local law enforcement officials have provided the Department with valuable insights from the front lines. You’ve told us what works, what doesn’t, and what we must do to enhance public safety. You’ve also taught me over the years that there is no such thing as a one’size-fits-all answer to the dynamic and evolving problem of crime.”
Holder discussed the importance of collaboration to successful law enforcement and promised to reinvigorate the Department’s partnerships with local, state and tribal law enforcement authorities. He said that no one better understands community needs than “the brave men and women who work at the local level” and thanked Rochester (NY) Mayor Robert Duffy, Chair of the Conference’s Criminal and Social Justice Committee, for working closely with the Justice Department’s leadership to “show us why local problems often demand national solutions.”
Other Department priorities which the Attorney General highlighted during his speech included:
Ensuring national security, which he said will remain the Department’s top priority;
Strengthening drug enforcement, particularly along the southwest border;
Enacting comprehensive immigration reform, including finding a workable solution for the millions who are in our country without lawful status;
Pursuing and preventing economic crimes; and
Assuring the fair administration of criminal laws, including a comprehensive review of federal sentencing policy.
Holder recognized the importance of cities and metro areas to the nation’s economy. “Today, our top 100 metropolitan areas generate two-thirds of our jobs, and more than 40 of these areas rank among the world’s 100 largest economies,” he said. “The cities you serve and manage determine the strength of our economy, and they are driving, and will insure, our national recovery efforts.” He cautioned, however, that “if the citizens we serve live in fear for their security and if we fail to keep our streets and communities safe, very little can be accomplished. ”
By Laura DeKoven Waxman
February 1, 2010
