Weekly Update & AnalysisThe Brooks
Bawden Moore Weekly Update and Analysis highlights recent and planned congressional activities including hearings, floor action, and new bill introductions that relate to public safety, justice, and homeland security matters. Please let us know if you would like to know more about any of the items described in the update. Additionally, please feel free to distribute this product as you see fit.
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Week in RecapThis week, President Biden rolled out his FY 2025 Budget Request. We compiled resources to assist
with your review and understanding of the request, which include links to the text, key excerpts and background materials including fact sheets on key public safety and homeland security initiatives. You can access those here. BBM attended a stakeholder briefing at the Department of Justice with their grant making divisions to learn more about the Administrations budget request and funding priorities. Leadership from the
Office of Justice Programs, Office of Violence Against Women, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and Justice Management Division shared an overview and details of their budget requests and provided additional materials which we compiled for you here. While the President's FY25 Budget has now been released, Congress is still working to finalize FY24 funding. Lawmakers are weighing a stopgap Homeland Security funding bill that would run through the end of September, as border issues hold up a six-bill spending package due March 22. The House approved a bill aimed at forcing the sale of TikTok over national security and privacy concerns related to the companies relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. It is unclear if the legislation, despite its overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, will be taken up by the Senate. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) reintroduced the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, a bill aimed at prohibiting no-knock warrants nationwide. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a FISA authorization and reform bill that includes provisions that would impact domestic law enforcement access to data from data brokers. The Office of Justice Programs posted information on new funding opportunities which we have compiled for you here. |
BBM posts timely and regularly on topics of
interest to the public safety community. Email a member of the BBM team today to get new content delivered directly to your inbox. Blog Posts of the Week |
Hearings This Week- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Hearing
- Senate Budget Committee
- House Homeland Security- Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence
- House Homeland Security- Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Hearing
- Committee on House Administration- Oversight Subcommittee
- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Senate Judiciary
Committee
Hearings Next Week - House Homeland Security Committee- Emergency Management and Technology
- Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee- Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee
- House Administration Committee
- House Oversight and Accountability Committee- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- House Homeland Security Commitee- Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement
New Bill Introductions- H.R. 7649
- Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]
- Summary: This bill would provide for the detention, inadmissibility, and removal of aliens who commit sexual assault.
- H.R.7648
- Sponsor: Beyer, Donald S. [Rep.-D-VA-8]
- Summary: This bill would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include certain reporting to the uniform
crime reporting program.
- S.3933
- Sponsor: Britt, Katie Boyd [Sen.-R-AL]
- Summary: This bill would require the
Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft.
- S. 3927
- Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas
[Sen.-R-NC]
- Summary: This bill would provide a civil remedy for individuals harmed by sanctuary jurisdiction policies.
- S.3923
- Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]
- Summary: This bill aims to provide for the effective use of immigration detainers to enhance public safety.
- S.3919
- Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]
- Summary: This bill would render State or local governments with certain bail and pretrial detention policies ineligible to receive funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
- S.3909
- Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
- Summary: This bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to auction spectrum in the band between 1.3 gigahertz and 13.2
gigahertz.
- H.R. 7617
- Sponsor: Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]
- Summary: This bill aims to make several criminal justice
reforms, including banning the use of no-knock warrants.
- S.3900
- Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]
- Summary: This bill aims to
make several criminal justice reforms, including banning the use of no-knock warrants.
Community and Client News
Justice Department Fiscal Year 2025 Funding
Request Budget Proposal to Uphold the Rule of Law, Keep America Safe, and Protect Civil Rights From the Press Release: The President submitted to Congress his Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, which requests a total of $37.8 billion in discretionary resources, an
increase of $467 million over an FY 2024 Annualized Continuing Resolution, and a total of $10.5 billion in mandatory funding for the Justice Department. “The dedicated men and women of the Justice Department work every day to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Securing these resources is critical to advancing that mission in service of the American people.” Key investments to keep our country safe include: - Over $20.6 billion to expand the
capacity of the Department’s law enforcement and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to combat a wide range of complex and evolving threats. This includes $11.3 billion for the FBI and $2.8 billion for U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to carry out their complex missions, including keeping our country safe from violent crime, cybercrime, hate crimes, terrorism, espionage, and the proliferation and potential use of weapons of mass destruction. The budget also includes:
- $2.7 billion for the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to continue the fight against dangerous drug trafficking gangs and cartels and to prevent the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.
- $1.9 billion for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to assist local law enforcement in apprehending violent fugitives from our neighborhoods and to protect our nation’s judges and courts.
- $2 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to reduce gun violence and violent crime.
- Investments of $1.6 billion in discretionary funding and $3.5 billion in mandatory funding to combat violent crime and reduce gun violence in the United States. This includes the new Violent Crime Reduction and Prevention Fund (VCRPF) and mandatory funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. The VCRPF, over five years, will hire new federal law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and forensic specialist to combat fentanyl, as well as
apprehend dangerous fugitives and aims to drive down the high rate of unsolved violent crimes and the lengthy delays that undermine public trust and public safety.
- $2.2 billion in mandatory funding, and $370 million in discretionary funding, for a total of almost $2.6 billion for the COPS Hiring Program to provide resources to meet the administration’s goal of 100,000 new police officers in America’s neighborhoods, through the President’s Safer America
Plan.
- $884 million for a new mandatory Gun Crime Prevention Strategic Fund totaling $4.4 billion over five years in funding to provide states and localities with comprehensive resources to invest in law enforcement and crime prevention.
- $247.1 million in funding annually for five years for the new mandatory-funded VCRPF dedicated to providing resources to states, localities, and Tribal communities to help prevent and respond
to violent crime. This funding supports 4,700 detectives at the state and local level over five years through COPS funding, as well as the USMS’ Operation North Star, DEA’s Operation Overdrive, additional prosecutors for U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and expansion of ATF’s and FBI’s staffing efforts to bolster violent crime reduction.
- $7.7 billion for programs to protect national security, enhance cybersecurity, and combat cybercrime to counter terrorism
and keep pace with rising national security threats, while protecting civil rights and civil liberties.
- $4.7 billion to support state and local law enforcement and community violence prevention and intervention programs to make neighborhoods safer.
- $483 million for COPS, which includes funding for law enforcement to boost community policing, the STOP School Violence Program to provides resources to prevent school violence,
and active shooter training to prepare officials to respond to shooting incidents.
- $856.5 million for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which includes funding to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities to reduce violent crime.
- $1.1 billion to protect the most vulnerable by combating child exploitation, combating gender-based discrimination and harassment, and
protecting victims of violence and abuse. Funding is provided for several new programs within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), including $20 million the Access to Sexual Assault Nurse Exams, $10 million for the Special Initiative to Address the Intersection of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Human Trafficking, and $3 million for the National Service Line for Incarcerated Survivors of Sexual Abuse.
Key investments to support the Department’s mission of protecting civil rights includes include $737.6 million in
funding that supports: - $641 million for the OJP to provide resources, leadership, and solutions to advance community safety, build community trust, and provide grants, including a $5 million increase for the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act grant program. Funding includes $300 million for the Accelerating Justice System Reform initiative to enhance public safety while reducing disparities in the criminal and juvenile justice systems and $5
million for the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) to enhance the collection and reporting of DCRA data.
- $94 million to support the Department’s Body Worn Camera Initiative.
Key investments to support the Department’s mission to uphold the Rule of Law include
$119.1 million in funding that supports: - $38.1 million to protect democratic institutions, including:
- $28.1 million for the USMS’ Supreme Court of the U.S. Protective Services, which includes personnel and equipment for protective services and details.
- $10 million for grants under the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act to help prevent the disclosure of personal information
of Federal judges and their family members.
- $12.5 million for Justice Information Sharing Technology. This includes $10 million to support for the new National Law Enforcement Accountability Database that helps law enforcement agencies make more informed hiring decisions, thereby enhancing both accountability and public safety. In addition, $2.5 million is requested to support the Department’s effort to capitalize on the extraordinary
capabilities of artificial intelligence in a responsible and secure manner.
The Department’s overall request for FY 2025 reflects the limits imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023.
COPS Office Announces
Recipients of 2024 L. Anthony Sutin Award for Innovative Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships Honoring the Lancaster County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office with the Coalition for Healthy Youth and the Macomb County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Office with the Macomb County Executive WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced the two recipients of the 2024 L. Anthony Sutin Award for Innovative Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships. They are: Lancaster County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office with the Coalition for Healthy Youth; and
Macomb County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Office with the
Macomb County Executive.
“Building successful partnerships provides the framework for success for community policing,” said Hugh T. Clements, Jr., Director of the COPS Office. “Partnerships like the ones we are honoring today show what can happen when trusting, respectful environments are created between law
enforcement and the many organizations and agencies that are critical to a community’s success. Today’s award winners demonstrate what success in the area looks like.” In 1998, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office formed a partnership with six individuals to address problem youth behaviors such as substance abuse, delinquency, violence, teen pregnancy prevention and gang affiliation. Under the leadership of Sheriff Barry Faile, that group has now grown to include over 40 public, private, civic, corporate, and faith-based entities. It has become one of the most prolific and effective efforts in this arena in South Carolina, gaining national
attention, and helping thousands since its inception. From working with schools to promote public safety, to assisting with substance abuse prevention efforts, to addressing the opioid epidemic and commensurate crime associated with drug trafficking, the partnership has had a profound and measurable impact on the community. The partnership between Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham and County Executive Mark A. Hackel began in the early 1980s when they were both young patrol Macomb County Deputy Sheriffs. They formed a pact committing that their careers would make transformative changes to the county-wide criminal justice
system, and they have done just that. Reaching out and collaborating with municipal units of government resulted in the first community contractual partnership for community-oriented policing in Harrison Township. Additional collaborative contracts with community-based providers to deliver a myriad of services were soon established. In recent years, the partnership has brought about transformational change in the areas of criminal justice, public health, community action and infrastructure
improvements. Working together, the team has modernized and re-invented community service offerings to target the daily needs of the most vulnerable citizens of Macomb County. The L. Anthony Sutin Award for Innovative Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships recognizes the efforts of innovative and sustained law enforcement and community partnerships whose unique collaborations have transformed public safety in their communities. This award is bestowed on those partnerships in which law enforcement is actively engaged with the community in a multifaceted manner that has been sustained over time and has resulted in positive, observable
public safety outcomes or advances in public trust. The award is named in memory of Tony Sutin, who served as a founder and Deputy Director of the COPS Office from its creation in 1994 until 1996. After serving as the Principal Deputy to the Associate Attorney General of the United States, then as acting Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, he joined the faculty of the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia in 1999. He quickly became dean and served in that capacity until
his untimely death on January 16, 2002. The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community
policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime
and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.
The Bureau of Justice
Assistance Center for Task Force Training Releases Second Podcast of a Five Part Series "Proactive Policing in Today's Society for Multijurisdictional and Specialty Enforcement Units" Part Two: " Use of Force Policy Considerations" This podcast episode explores he judicial foundations of current use-of-force policy and looks at the development of use-of-force policy over time, providing guidance on what task force commanders can do to help ensure that their task force policies are in compliance. The session also exposes areas in which task force commanders
can and should consider collaboration to help ensure the success of their task forces. In this
episode, expert guidance is provided by subject-matter experts Kenneth (“Ken”) Razza, opiate diversion investigator and methamphetamine investigation coordinator with the Anti-Crime Unit at the Buncombe County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department, and constitutional policing author Thomas (“Tom”) Martinelli, JD, MS. The podcast is moderated by experienced CenTF trainer Thomas (“Tom”) Datro, sergeant and officer in charge of the Los Angeles, California, Police Department’s Training
Division.
DHS Releases Center for
Countering Human Trafficking Annual Report The report highlights the Department’s efforts to train
more than 275,000 individuals, including aviation and transportation personnel, law enforcement partners, and nonprofit organizations, to recognize the indicators of human trafficking and take action to stop this heinous crime. The Annual Report outlines the Department’s role as a global leader in the fight against human trafficking through a wide range of efforts including victim identification and assistance, criminal investigations, civil enforcement actions, intelligence and analysis,
training and public education, and external outreach.
How Ukrainian police used Rapid DNA to refute Russian claims at the UN From Chuck Wexler: Early last year colleagues and I made two trips to Ukraine, the first to Kyiv in January and the second to Kyiv and Kharkiv in April. I visited the country to better understand the challenges facing local police and help facilitate an equipment donation to the police from philanthropist and author Mitzi Perdue. While there, I saw police working to protect the population and investigate war crimes amidst regular
bombardment. The danger they’re facing hit home for me in late December, when the hotel where we had stayed in Kharkiv, the Kharkiv Palace, was hit by a Russian missile. This week I followed up with Serhii Bolvinov, who serves as chief of investigations for the Kharkiv Region and met with me when I visited Kharkiv 11 months ago on my second trip to the country. Chief Bolvinov spoke about investigating war crimes, attacks on his personnel, using Rapid DNA to identify war crime victims, and countering Russian disinformation.
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How Ukraine is pioneering war-time science with mobile DNA laboratories
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Ukraine is pioneering war-time science by rolling out mobile laboratories with new technology capable of processing DNA samples in minutes to identify the dead.It cuts down the time taken to identify those killed in Russia’s ruthless invasion from
potentially years to just over an hour. The new DNA machines, provided by Western donors including the French authorities and the Howard G Buffett Foundation in the United States, are being driven around the country in police vans allowing teams to process evidence in real time.
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Lassen Peak Unveils New
Website as Company Prepares for Public Safety Agency Pilot Deployments with Innovative De-Escalation and Officer Safety Technology Lassen Peak has developed and continues to improve breakthrough innovative imaging radar technology to conduct concealed weapon searches at a distance and in the field as an alternative to the traditional hands-on pat-down. The legacy pat-down is dangerous for officers as well as individuals being searched. Based on the proximity and contentious nature of the physical contact, the threat of concealed weapons creates an emotionally charged interaction whether
weapons exist or not – this can lead to escalations of use-of-force that may result in serious injury or death. Lassen Peak is a Seattle-area startup founded in 2019 by industry veterans in ultra-highspeed wireless, imaging radar, broadband communications, and law enforcement. Matching new and advanced technology with the need for accurate weapon detection in the field, the team is committed to providing law enforcement with a safer and less contentious alternative to the legacy method of a hands-on weapon “pat down”. Visit their new website and learn more.
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What Science Really Says About Facial Recognition Accuracy and Bias Concerns
Since 2020, calls to heavily restrict or ban the use of facial recognition technology have become commonplace in technology, data privacy and artificial intelligence policymaking discussions. In many cases, the sole justification offered is
the claim that this face matching technology is generally inaccurate, and particularly so with respect to women and minorities. Surely, a technology used in identification processes with significant outcomes should perform well and consistently across demographic groups. But does science really support claims of inherent “bias”? What is the evidence being cited for this claim, and does it add up?
Opinion: Weed Is Dangerous.
Legalizing It Was a Mistake By William P. Barr and John P. Walters It’s been a little over a decade since cannabis was first legalized recreationally in the United States—in Colorado and Washington state in 2012, and as of today in 24 states and the District of Columbia—and Americans have never been more pro-weed. In a Gallup poll from last November, a record
high (no pun intended) of 70 percent of U.S. adults came out in support of the federal legalization of marijuana, up from 50 percent in 2013 and a miniscule twelve percent in 1969, when Gallup first asked the question. More Americans support legal weed than people under the age of 45 believe in democracy. But is legal cannabis really such a no-brainer? A recent study found that marijuana use—whether through smoking, edibles, or vapes—is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. In December, a California woman was convicted for involuntary manslaughter after fatally stabbing her
boyfriend over a hundred times because of (according to her lawyers) “cannabis-induced psychosis.” As more
states consider the issue—Florida, Indiana, and Wisconsin could introduce cannabis legislation in 2024—has decriminalization really worked? Or should it be reconsidered with, well, more sober eyes? Today in The Free Press, we present the strongest cases for and against cannabis legalization. Read the argument against legalization from William Barr, the former United States attorney general, and Hudson Institute president John Walters, below. William P. Barr served twice as U.S. Attorney General (1991–93 and 2019–20) and is a distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute. John P. Walters is president and chief executive officer of the Hudson Institute and served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (2001–2009).
Then read Reason editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward on why
legalization is the right approach.
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FBI: Spending cuts will hamper counterintelligence, investigations
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The FBI warned that funding cuts in a fiscal 2024 spending package would hamper counterintelligence activities and the ability to investigate human trafficking and crimes against children, as House Republicans this week touted funding reductions for federal
law enforcement agencies.
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School shootings prompt more states to fund digital maps for first responders
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Spurred by mass shootings, thousands of school districts have hired companies to produce detailed digital maps that can help police, firefighters and medical professionals respond more quickly in emergencies. More than 20 states have enacted or proposed
digital school mapping measures in the past few years, according to an Associated Press analysis aided by the bill-tracking software Plural. Florida approved $14 million in grants last year. Michigan allotted $12.5 million. New Jersey allocated $12.3 million in federal pandemic relief funds to complete digital maps of every school in the state.
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FBI director warns of 'dangerous individuals' coming across southern border
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Amid a bitter election-year debate over illegal immigration, FBI Director Chris Wray told a Senate panel on Monday that dangerous individuals have entered the United States illegally at the southern border.
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Inside the organized crime rings plaguing retailers including Ulta, T.J. Maxx and Walgreens
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Law enforcement officials say Mack’s alleged theft ring is just one of the many that are plaguing U.S. retailers and costing them billions in losses annually. Their rise has led many companies to lock up merchandise, hire security guards and lobby lawmakers
for stricter regulations. These organized theft groups don’t typically carry out the splashy “smash and grab” robberies seen in viral videos. Instead, they pilfer goods quickly, quietly and efficiently. They often function within elaborate, organized structures that in some ways mimic the corporations they’re stealing from, police said.
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Oregon's drug decriminalization law rolled back as homelessness, overdoses on the rise
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Three years ago, Oregon decriminalized small amounts of illicit drugs, from fentanyl to methamphetamine to crack. As calls to reform the new law and to give police more authority over the situation continue to grow, some of the law's advocates argue that
more time is needed to correct a problem that has been compounding for a long time.
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Capitol Police could bolster staffing, security under Biden budget proposal
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Capitol Police would see a steep funding increase in the coming fiscal year under President Joe Biden’s budget request released Monday. The department, which continues to complain of low staffing levels amid elevated threats against members and staff, would
receive $901 million in fiscal 2025, according to the proposal, a more than 22 percent bump over current funding.
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Congress Renews Ban on Undetectable Firearms
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Congress has reauthorized the Undetectable Firearms Act, a decades-old law aimed at preventing people from sneaking guns through security checkpoints at schools, airports, concerts, and other public spaces. The act will remain in force until 2031 under a
provision passed as part of a bipartisan spending package signed by President Joe Biden on March 9 to avert a partial government shutdown.
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International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) Orlando, FL — Mar 25.- Mar. 28 ,2024 | | |
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National Fusion Center Association Annual Training Event Washington, D.C. — Mar 26.- Mar. 28 ,2024 | | |
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National Police Week Washington, DC — May 11.- Mar. 16 ,2024 | | |
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National Association of Police
Organizations TOP COPS Award Dinner/Legislative Update Washington, DC — May 12.- Mar. 14 ,2024 | | |
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2024 IACP Technology Conference Charlotte, NC — May 21.- MaY 23 ,2024 | | |
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American Correctional Association's 154th Congress of Correction Nashville, TN — Aug 15.- Aug 18 ,2024 | | |
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