Law Enforcement

Kansas law enforcement officers work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. I have seen firsthand the dedication of our Kansas law enforcement professionals, and I want to express my thanks, appreciation and support for every officer, captain, lieutenant, chief and sheriff in our state.

As the lead Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which funds and provides oversight of the Department of Justice, one of my top priorities is to make certain our state, local and tribal enforcement officers have the federal resources they need to keep our communities safe and strengthen the key partnerships that bolster the health and well-being of our communities.

Threaded through every law enforcement department is the goal to keep our communities safe, and I recognize the needs to meet that goal are different in each community. Through my leadership position, I have worked to provide increased resources for grant programs that provide resources tailored to the needs of each community, such as purchasing new equipment, developing outreach programs or updating technology. I’ve also supported initiatives to provide new bulletproof vests for officer safety and enhance crime-fighting technologies such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network which is helping to link and solve gun crimes throughout the state.

It is also imperative that we have effective partnerships between our federal, state and local law enforcement to address violent crime. Joint operations allow our state and local law enforcement professionals to tap into federal resources and technical expertise from Department of Justice agencies, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration and more. These joint operations deliver assistance in key areas like crime analysis, technology, gun violence and illegal drug trafficking that act as a force multiplier and produce tangible results that make our neighborhoods safer.

Law enforcement officers put on their uniform every day and answer the call to not only protect the people they know, but perhaps even more amazing, protect people they have never met. I am truly thankful for our law enforcement officers, especially in Kansas, that answer that call.