United States Senator Deb Fischer’s Weekly Column
Day and night or rain and shine, the brave men and women in blue are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe. They risk their lives every day to make the ‘Good Life’ we all cherish a safer place to live, work, and raise a family.
While it is always important to show those who wear the badge how much we appreciate what they do for our communities, it is especially critical during National Police Week.
This year, I was proud to cosponsor a resolution — unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate — designating May 11 to May 17 of 2025 as National Police Week. Our resolution reiterates the Senate’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States.
It also honors law enforcement personnel who have recently died in the line of duty, including one of Nebraska’s own, the late Ceresco Police Officer Ross Bartlett.
Law enforcement personnel, like Officer Bartlett, who served his community for 30 years, dedicate their lives to serving others. These officers deserve more than just our thanks; sadly, not everyone agrees with that sentiment.
We continue to hear many — far too many — voices who villainize police and the vital work they do. We cannot condone this rhetoric, which has diminished morale and made officers’ jobs more dangerous.
As your U.S. Senator, I will continue to support policies and programs that back the blue and help our law enforcement officers protect Nebraska’s communities.
That is why I am supporting the Protect and Serve Act, which would hold individuals who commit senseless acts of violence against our officers accountable. If signed into law, this legislation would make it a federal crime to knowingly cause harm to a law enforcement officer.
I am also supportive of programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods, which has a proven track record of success in holding violent criminals accountable. In fact, last month, I cosponsored the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Reauthorization Act.
Since its inception, the Project Safe Neighborhoods program has established a nationwide partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors that uses evidence-based and data-driven approaches to reduce violent crime. This commonsense legislation will continue to provide Nebraska’s law enforcement with the resources they need to keep our communities safe.
But, in order to continue these instrumental programs and policies, we must have enough officers.
Staffing shortages across the nation are burdening our law enforcement officers and threatening public safety. Recruiting and retaining skilled personnel is essential to our communities’ overall safety and success.
That is why I worked on my Recruit and Retain Act—signed into law last year—to provide law enforcement across the country with resources to combat staffing shortages. Specifically, the law expands the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to cover onboarding costs, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to hire new officers.
Nebraska’s police officers work every single day to keep us safe. So, in return, let us make it our mission to support their mission to retain law and order and protect our communities.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
