Harder Recognizes National Police Week, Pushes for More Funding for Local Law Enforcement
Rep. Harder introduced legislation to create a grant program for police departments to hire, retain, and train officers
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) recognized National Police Week by introducing legislation to bring more money home to combat police hiring shortages. Rep. Harder introduced the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act, which creates a grant program for small and midsize police departments for recruitment, retention, and training. Hiring shortages are a massive issue for police departments in Northern California with many departments significantly below safe staffing levels.
In 2021 alone, California law enforcement agencies lost 2,100 sworn officers and about 1,100 civilian staff. In Stockton, the police department is short 120 officers, meaning the city has been unable to fill 25% of open positions on its police force.
“Thank you to the police officers across San Joaquin County who put everything on the line to protect our families,” said Rep. Harder. “Police Week should not just be about nice words however – it needs to be about action as well. I’m proud to introduce the Invest to Protect Act to make sure our local police departments have the funding and the officers they need to keep us safe. Let’s get this done.”
Statistics on crime, police shortages, and officer mental health:
- Police departments saw 47% more resignations and nearly 20% more retirements in 2022 compared to 2019. There has been a sharp decline in the number of applicants to police academies.
- According to a recent study, the rate of PTSD among police officers increased by nearly 30% from January 2020 to April 2021.
- In California, the number of patrol officers per 100,000 residents is the lowest since at least 1991.
In addition to the Invest to Protect Act, Rep. Harder has a strong history of fighting to make sure Central Valley police departments have the resources they need to protect our communities and to do so safely. Rep. Harder also co-sponsored the bipartisan Protect and Serve Act to strengthen federal penalties for anyone who targets law enforcement officers. This summer, he will be reintroducing his bipartisan bill to partner mental health professionals with police to help respond to mental health crises.
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