Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21), released the following statement after voting for a package of bills that give law enforcement the tools they need to prevent crime and create healthier, more sustainable relationships with the communities they serve.

“American families want to be safe in their communities,” said Rep. Frankel. “Today, we’re providing law enforcement with new tools to stop crime and reduce gun violence and additional measures for small, local law enforcement agencies to retain and recruit officers. At the same time, we are enacting new accountability measures to save lives and improve our policing culture.”

The legislative package is made up of four bills, including:

• The Invest to Protect Act which will provide grants to help small, local law enforcement agencies retain and recruit officers, while investing in strong guardrails and accountability measures.
• The Mental Health Justice Act which will help send unarmed mental health professionals to respond to mental health crises in our neighborhoods.
• The Break the Cycle of Violence Act which will invest in effective, evidence-based community violence intervention initiatives.
• The VICTIM Act which will bolster the ability of police forces to solve homicides, sexual assaults, shootings, and other violent crimes.

All four bills passed the House and now await action in the Senate.

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