Law Enforcement

Law enforcement officers daily put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. Many police departments across the nation are suffering from stretched budgets and shrinking police forces. That is why, I have taken a lead role to support law enforcement by carrying legislation to ensure resources, reform, and training to strengthen the security of our communities and nation. During the pandemic, I secured funding for local and state governments to ensure our officers received the compensation and resources they needed to keep our communities safe. 

As law enforcement agencies struggle with stretched budgets and shrinking forces to protect and serve our communities. I helped pass a package of police funding and public safety bills that will invest in local law enforcement departments and crime prevention to help make our communities safer. These pieces of legislation will invest in safety training, victim-centered response, officer recruitment and retention, mental health resources, and safety equipment. 

Latest Efforts

• Delivered funding to the City of Fresno to increase police staff time to address rising violence and crime (including additional police vehicles). This funding helped Fresno's 911 call center to ensure that 90% of all emergency calls can be answered in 15 seconds.

• Secured $703,000 for Madera County Sheriff's Office to purchase a Rapid DNA system through the FY 23 government funding bill to bolster law enforcement's ability to quickly obtain accurate analysis, identify victims' remains, and relieve the backlog in crime laboratories.

• Secured $457,000 for Merced County Sheriff's Office to purchase a Rapid DNA system through the FY 23 government funding bill to bolster law enforcement's ability to quickly obtain accurate analysis, identify victims' remains, and relieve the backlog in crime laboratories.

• Joined a letter urging House Leadership to bring a package of bills to the House floor for a vote without any delays. These bills would bolster public safety and support local police departments.

• Joined a group of colleagues in a letter calling on House leadership to bring forth a package of law enforcement and publish safety bills to the floor for a vote.

• Joined a letter urging House Leadership to bring bipartisan, commonsense law enforcement bills to the House floor for standalone votes to invest in local police departments.

• Co-sponsored and voted to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act helpstackle the dramatic increase in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Signed into Law)

• Co-sponsored and voted to pass the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which explicitly designates lynching as a hate crime under federal law for the first time. (Signed into Law)

Legislation that Passed the House

•  Invest to Protect Act would make targeted investments in local police departments and ensure those police officers in smaller communities across the country have the resources and training they need to keep themselves and their communities safe. Investments would be made in safety training, victim-centered response, officer recruitment and retention, mental health resources, and safety equipment.  Costa is an original co-sponsor of the bill.

• Mental Health Justice Act would create a grant program to allow states and local governments to hire mental health professionals to respond to behavioral health emergencies instead of the police. Costa is a co-sponsor of the bill.

• Break the Cycle of Violence Act would create a federal grant program for violence intervention programs and initiatives. Costa is a co-sponsor of the bill.

• VICTIM Act would establish a grant program within the Department of Justice to hire, train and retain detectives and victim services personnel to investigate homicides and non-fatal shootings. Costa endorsed this legislation through the New Democrat Coalition.