Pappas Meets with Somersworth ACERT Program Partners to Discuss Safe Communities Agenda

Press Release

On Wednesday, January 26, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) visited the Somersworth Police Department to meet with local Somersworth ACERT program partners to hear updates on how the Somersworth ACERT program has helped mitigate the impacts of childhood trauma. They also discussed legislation Pappas leads in the U.S. House of Representatives to expand these programs nationwide.

ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, are events in a child's life which have a heavy impact on their future wellbeing, success in life, and risk of violence. The National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act would establish a federal grant program to allow for the creation of ACE Response Teams (ACERTs) which would deploy to provide services and care to children who have experienced trauma.

Somersworth

Pappas was joined Wednesday by Captain Tim McLin of the Somersworth Police Department; Cait Massey, Executive Director of the Strafford County Child Advocacy Center; Amanda Vachon, Director of the Strafford County Family Justice Center; and Liza Cocco, Principal at Idlehurst Elementary School.

"I remember first hearing about Adverse Childhood Experiences from advocates who highlighted the need to bring community members, law enforcement, and first responders together to help protect our kids," said Congressman Chris Pappas. "We know that trauma is really heightened right now from the pandemic, the addiction crisis in New Hampshire, and so many other stressors that we face so I'm really grateful for the work being done here in Somersworth. This is a terrific, proven program to get to our kids early and make sure that they have healthy and bright futures. I'm going to keep working to expand these programs nationwide and bring our communities the funding they need to implement and sustain ACERT programs."

Pappas recently announced his "New Hampshire Safe Communities Agenda," a package of legislation and priorities that he will advocate for to improve safety in communities in every corner of the First District by supporting first responders, frontline workers, and law enforcement.

Pappas's New Hampshire Safe Communities Agenda legislative priorities authored by Pappas include:

The Establishing Accreditation Grants for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Act would authorize $10 million in funding for small and mid-sized police departments to earn or renew accreditation from state, regional, tribal or national police accreditation organizations, such as the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This legislation would help police departments update their standards and best practices to strengthen accountability, enhance community trust, and improve operational effectiveness.

The Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act will keep deadly synthetic drugs off the streets by placing fentanyl-related substances permanently on the Schedule I list. Fentanyl overdoses are now the leading cause of death in American adults ages 18 to 45, with 100,000 Americans dying from an overdose annually - the first time we have reached this tragic milestone.

The National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act would establish a federal grant program to provide resources for law enforcement and first responders to connect with local child specialists and professionals to intervene and mitigate the impacts of childhood trauma. ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, are events in a child's life which have a heavy impact on their future wellbeing, success in life, and risk of violence. This legislation would allow for the creation of ACE Response Teams (ACERTs) which would deploy as soon as the scene has been cleared to provide services and care to children who have experienced trauma.

The NH Safe Communities Agenda legislative priorities that Pappas has helped introduce include:

The Invest to Protect Act, bipartisan legislation that will secure funding for small police departments to improve training and standards, recruit and retain officers, acquire body camera data storage, and provide mental health resources for officers.

The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act establishes a grant program to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies to help increase clearance rates for homicides and non-fatal shootings. These DOJ grants would allow PDs to hire and retain detectives and analysts to investigate homicide and non-fatal shootings, acquire resources for evidence processing, and ensure agencies investigating these violent crimes are adequately staffed and funded.

The Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act establishes a program to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a one-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance premium.

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