I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 3127, the “Safe Interactions Act.”
Individuals with disabilities are two-and-a-half times more likely to be victims of violent crime and three times more likely to be victims of a serious crime. Law enforcement officers will undoubtedly interact with people who have disabilities during the course of their career and therefore need better training to effectively interact with these citizens. Without sufficient training, it can be difficult for a law enforcement officer to identify someone who has a disability and know how to interact with that person to avoid any miscommunication, which could lead to tragic outcomes. For this reason, it is imperative that law enforcement officers have access to training in order to protect themselves and the communities they serve.
Your legislation would help ensure law enforcement officers have access to this training by providing grants to nonprofit disability organizations that have partnered with a law enforcement agency to develop training programs to ensure safe interactions between law enforcement and people with disabilities. This bill would help stand up training programs for new and veteran officers and include those with disabilities in the training process. These training programs will help law enforcement officers increase their knowledge and understanding of those with disabilities, allowing them to better identify when they are interacting with someone who has a disability.
On behalf of the more than 356,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am proud to offer our support for this legislation. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President