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By U.s. Rep. Yvette Herrell / n.m. republican, CD2 Published: Sunday, October 16th, 2022 at 12:02AM Updated: Sunday, October 16th, 2022 at 12:15AM

Since day one in Congress, I have advocated for the courageous men and women in law enforcement, who have been under relentless attack during the so-called “defund the police” movement.

Dangerous and divisive rhetoric about police has led to a historic spike in crime across our country and is attributed to billions of dollars in property damages, theft, injuries and deaths across many of our major cities. Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing some of the toughest working conditions and are in dire need of support from law-abiding Americans and their leaders in Congress, more than ever.

As I have traveled outside of major metropolitan areas and across our vast rural landscape in Southern New Mexico, I have met with rural first responders and hosted several roundtables to gain a better understanding of how we can work together to address the unique challenges they face on a daily basis. New Mexico is geographically diverse, and first responders in rural areas encounter unique challenges, including personnel shortages, lack of mental health resources, equipment shortages and other factors.

It was about time that Congress took action to address these issues head on. I proudly supported the Invest to Protect Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill that passed the House Sept. 22 and is now in the Senate that establishes a new grant for law enforcement agencies that employ fewer than 200 officers to provide training, body cameras and access to mental health resources to local law enforcement officers and improve recruitment and retention efforts. Nearly every police department in New Mexico’s Second District would be eligible to apply for these grant funds once the program is established.

This bill would also remove regulatory barriers for applicants and allows for grants to go toward de-escalation training, lethal and non-lethal resources, evidence-based safety training, and retention bonuses for local police departments. This comprehensive legislation also gives law enforcement the ability to respond to substance abuse and mental distress calls successfully. In addition, the Invest to Protect Act provides the vital training to respond to people with disabilities and victims of human trafficking – a tragically necessary resource in our country today.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, I especially value the ability of the federal government to conduct oversight-related actions. This bill would require the DOJ Inspector General to audit and investigate any potential misuse of grant funding from local police departments.

Unfortunately, anti-police sentiments and rising crime across America have led to law enforcement resignations and hesitation from good citizens to enter the important field of public safety. I firmly believe this bill will help to address some of our nation’s grave law enforcement shortages.

This bipartisan bill is an important step forward to achieving a safer America. If Washington politicians are interested in addressing our nationwide crime crisis, they should stop voting to defund police department budgets, establishing and advocating for large scale bail-funds to bail out violent offenders, or pretending that sending unarmed social workers to de-escalate dangerous situations is a viable solution. It is no coincidence law enforcement officials and police departments are experiencing low morale and retention across their departments.

Much work remains to reverse the soft-on-crime, pro-criminal policies implemented at the federal, state and local levels that have led to unprecedented crime and violence. But we can start by standing with the men and women of law enforcement and giving them the tools they need to keep our communities safe.