WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently joined 55 senators to co-sponsor a bipartisan resolution designating May 15 to May 21, 2016 “National Police Week.” The resolution, which passed the Senate unanimously last night, honors 123 law enforcement officers across the nation killed in the line of duty in 2015, including Inspector Robert James Bowling of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.
“Americans across the country are blessed to be protected by dedicated law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect our lives every single day,” said Senator Tillis. “I am proud to support National Police Week to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that our brave law enforcement officers have the encouragement and resources they need to stay safe while serving our communities.”
In 2015, North Carolina lost one law enforcement officer, Inspector Robert James Bowling, who served with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles License and Theft Bureau for 24 years and was assigned to District 4.
Background
Senator Tillis recently co-sponsored The POLICE Act, which makes federal grants available for law enforcement officers and medical personnel to help them better prepare for active shooter situations, including training civilians on how to respond if confronted by an active shooter.
Senator Tillis also supports The Thin Blue Line Act, which amends the federal criminal code to make the killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations.
One of the first bills Senator Tillis co-sponsored was The Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015, which establishes a national Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice to issue alerts when a law enforcement officer is killed, injured, goes missing in the line of duty, or when there is an imminent and credible threat to an officer. The legislation passed Congress and was signed into law by the President last May.
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