In a recent E-mail communication to the US Department of Justice, National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) Executive Director Bill Johnson called upon the DOJ’s Director of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to prioritize two man patrol units that would be tied to receipt of future federal funding. This message was sent in light of the upswing in attacks against police nationwide. PLEA is reprinting the message in its entirety below.
To Ronald L. Davis, Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.
Via email
Dear Director Davis,
NAPO calls on your Office to take immediate action in a way that will have a direct and positive impact towards stemming the ongoing ambush murders of law enforcement officers across this country. We call on you to immediately define as the single most favored priority in determining the awarding of funds for the hiring and retention of officers, or for equipment, training or other assistance, that any agency which is receiving funding, or seeks funding, or wishes to continue to receive funding, immediately institute a policy of two person units for all patrol shifts and patrol assignments. That is, two officers in each patrol car, on each beat, etc. While this will not prevent all attacks, as the assassination of Officers Ramos and Liu in New York City makes clear, it will deter many and thwart others that might still be attempted.
The federal funds earmarked for state and local police use cannot be put to any better use than this immediate and practical way of ensuring greater officer safety and survivability in the face of this escalating war on police. By helping to defray the costs of the implementation of this policy, you can directly assist in saving the lives of American officers. This is frankly a much more immediate and pressing need than your Office’s and the Department of Justice’s current funding of “procedural justice”, “police legitimacy” and “collaborative reform” programs.
Sincerely,
William J. Johnson
Executive Director
National Association of Police Organizations
317 S. Patrick Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 549-0775
bjohnson@napo.org