“The tragic shooting that led to Corey’s death was devastating to our community and broke our hearts. This legislation is aimed at preventing future tragedies, keeping law enforcement officers and citizens safe.”
(Washington, D.C.) Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) introduced the Corey Jones Act, legislation prohibiting the award of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant funding to local police departments that do not ban plain-clothes officers from engaging in routine traffic stops in unmarked vehicles. The legislation is in remembrance of Corey Jones, a resident of Lake Worth, Florida who was shot and killed by a plain-clothes law enforcement officer operating an unmarked vehicle during the early hours of October 18, 2015. Joining Hastings as original co-sponsors include: Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Hank Johnson (D-GA) (Please find attached a copy of the legislation):
"This commonsense legislation will help keep both law enforcement and the citizens they police safe,” said Congressman Hastings. “The heartbreaking shooting that led to Corey’s death shook our community. Tragic incidents like this can easily be avoided by prohibiting plain-clothes law enforcement officials driving unmarked vehicles from making traffic stops, which can lead to situations full of confusion and even confrontation. Nouman Raja, the former officer involved in the tragic shooting death of Corey Jones, was recently found guilty of manslaughter and attempted murder. As we continue to heal, we must work together to ensure that every community across our nation takes the necessary steps to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. I believe that, by imposing this requirement on COPS grant recipients, the Corey Jones Act addresses the urgent need to end this practice and ensure the safety of our communities,” further noted Hastings.
“The tragic shooting that led to Corey’s death was devastating to our community and broke our hearts,” said Congresswoman Frankel. “This legislation is aimed at preventing future tragedies, keeping law enforcement officers and citizens safe.”
“This commonsense bill could help keep the public safe and prevent confusion while still ensuring law enforcement officers can do their job effectively,” said Congressman Deutch.
