WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, today spoke on the Senate floor along with Caucus co-chair U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to recognize the men and women of law enforcement as part of National Police Week.

Full audio and video available here.

Senator Coons’ remarks, as delivered, are below:

I want to thank my colleague from the state of Missouri. Having the opportunity to work with Senator Blunt, my co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, has been a terrific experience and an opportunity over several years and several Congresses now for more than a dozen conversations where we invite law enforcement leaders from around the country to talk about partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement—intelligence sharing, equipment issues, policy, and operational issues that allow us to provide needed support for the men and women of law enforcement. 

It’s my honor to join with several of my colleagues today to recognize the men and women of law enforcement as part of National Police Week. Together, we offer our gratitude, our thanks, and our support to the men and women of law enforcement, their families, and their communities.

It is only May, yet Delaware has already been reminded of the tremendous risks taken and great sacrifices made by law enforcement officers and their families.

In February of this year, Lieutenant Steven Floyd of the Delaware Department of Correction was killed on the job in a prison riot in Smyrna at the Delaware Correctional Center. He was a 16-year veteran of the Department and left behind his wife of 28 years, Saundra; his children, Candyss, Steven Jr., and Chyvante; and two grandsons.

Just last month, Corporal Stephen [Steve] J. Ballard of the Delaware State Police was senselessly gunned down investigating a suspicious vehicle. Corporal Ballard had served with the Delaware State Police for eight and a half years. He left behind his wife, Louise, and his daughter, Abigail.

Delawareans still grieve for the loss of both of these men in the line of duty. As we recognize the entire law enforcement community from across our country during National Police Week, we should honor their sacrifice by serving them as well as they serve us. This week, and every week, we must do everything we can to honor our obligations to fallen heroes and their families.

In the wake of these losses in Delaware, I’m committed to continuing to work with my colleagues across the aisle and across the country, like Senators Klobuchar and Cornyn and Senator Blunt, to make sure our officers have every resources they deserve to do their jobs and come home safely at the end of every shift.

That means continuing to champion programs like the bulletproof vest partnership, which literally saves officer lives. Delaware knows the importance of this long-running program all too well: two of our Delaware Capital Police officers who were shot in the line of duty survived due to bulletproof vests provided through this vital federal-state partnership.

I will also continue to work in the Senate with colleagues to reform the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program to make sure the families of officers who lose their lives or are permanently disabled in the line of duty receive the benefits they deserve. Chairman Grassley, who just joined us on the floor, is one of the lead sponsors on this bill along with Senators Hatch, Gillibrand, and Klobuchar that would make important steps in these reforms. That bill is one step away from passing the Senate, and could head to the House of Representatives as early today.

Of course, M. President, our commitment to serving the men and women of law enforcement extends beyond the patrol car and the station. Building and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is essential to preventing and reducing crime, and to keeping officers safe.

That’s why Senator Blunt and I have both taken steps to encourage the strategy of community policing that helps officers do their jobs more effectively in partnerships with local communities. We’ve also continued to support local officials working to bring federal resources, expertise, and convening power to help strengthen the bonds between police and the communities they serve.

In light of all of these efforts, we cannot let partisan politics and ideology in this chamber prevent us from doing our jobs in support of law enforcement. We will have failed those who serve us if we do so. We have to move forward in a bipartisan way to improve and invest in officer safety.

That’s why I’m so proud to stand with my colleague and partner from Missouri as co-chairs of the Law Enforcement Caucus. The mission of this bipartisan group of Senators is simple: bring law enforcement, community leaders, issue experts, and – perhaps most importantly – Republicans and Democrats together to share ideas and generate bipartisan solutions to challenges facing state and local law enforcement. We’ve hosted more than a dozen briefings and events. Now, more than ever, Senator Blunt and I are committed to this mission. 

M. President, we’re on this floor today to honor women and men like Corporal Ballard and Lieutenant Floyd form Delaware, who put on the uniform and badge every day, not knowing whether they’ll come home at the end of their shift. We’re here today for their families, whose sacrifice and burden is heavy.

When I attended Corporal Ballard’s memorial service earlier this month, the most powerful speaker was his widow, Louise. She stood up, stood tall, and, with a smile on her face, thanked the 3,000 officers from 36 states across the country who’d come to pay their respects. Louise Ballard said, “This is my Steven’s victory, when I get to see men and women from all over our country who every single day get up and do a job. A job that’s hard, a job that requires heart.” 

Few jobs, M. President, are as hard or require as much heart as patrolling our streets and protecting our communities. This week we honor the service and sacrifice of those law enforcement officers whose names have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year, and the hundreds of thousands, even millions, of others who even today, even tonight, will be on patrol keeping our communities and our families safe.

Thank you, M. President. 

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