Issue Position: Law Enforcement

Issue Position

Standing by Law Enforcement

Our first call when things go wrong is to our community law enforcement and first responders, who work tirelessly to keep our homes, neighborhoods, schools, roadways and public spaces safe -- often putting themselves in harm's way. I remain committed to ensuring our first responders have the tools and resources they need to do their job. I have successfully worked to increase critical funding for the Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) grants and Federal U.S. Marshals Service.

I have also supported legislation that would make it easier for law enforcement to end the distribution of highly addictive synthetic drugs, which are extremely dangerous and have resulted in a spike in emergency room visits and overdose deaths in Florida and across the nation.

Lastly, when our local first responders collaborate with federal officials to combat drug and human trafficking, multi-state crime, and other major federal investigations, they are acting as a federal agent. As such, the federal government should be able to seek the same justice for killing a non-federal officer as they do if a federal agent is murdered in the performance of their duties. To ensure this is the case, I have introduced the Thin Blue Line Act, which simply says, if you take the life of a law enforcement officer, be prepared to lose your own.

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