U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release September 27, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the conference committee for HR4954, the SAFE Port Act, is meeting to iron out differences between the House-passed and Senate-passed versions. The Senate-passed version includes a provision authored by United States Senator Ken Salazar creating a Rural Policing Institute (RPI). In a letter Tuesday, Senator Salazar and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues including Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) called on the conferees to preserve the RPI and ensure that law enforcement in rural areas receive the most advanced training available, writing, “Despite the fact that a majority of America’s law enforcement agencies serve rural communities and small towns, there is no office within the federal government dedicated specifically to training rural and tribal law enforcement personnel.” Senator Salazar moved to create the RPI after receiving the results of his 2005 statewide homeland security survey of police, fire, and medical workers, as well as state and regional emergency planners. The more than 60 respondents from around Colorado indicated that many rural law enforcement leaders were particularly concerned about the lack of up-to-date training to reflect new law enforcement responsibilities. “Every law enforcement officer is at the front-line in the battle for homeland security. But training budgets continue to shrink at the state, and especially local, levels,” said Senator Salazar. “Rural communities face the additional hurdle of small staffs and operations budgets, preventing these law enforcement personnel from receiving the best possible training. The RPI will help many of these communities successfully meet these new and changing challenges.” Senator Salazar’s amendment to HR4954 authorized $35 million in funding over six years to create and run the Rural Policing Institute at the elite Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia. The RPI would: 1) assess the needs of rural and tribal law enforcement agencies, 2) develop and export training programs directly to rural and tribal law enforcement agencies, and 3) conduct outreach to ensure that rural and tribal law enforcement agencies are aware of the new training opportunities. A copy of Senator Salazar’s letter can be viewed by clicking here.
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