Congressman Fred Upton is backing legislation intended to help local police departments improve their equipment and training. The Invest to Protect Act of 2022 is focused on police departments in smaller communities. Upton tells WSJM News the departments with fewer than 200 officers need better resources in a changed law enforcement climate.
“There’s been a lot of debate over the years about defunding police,” Upton said. “I’ve said from day one that we need more resources for our police, particularly body cams and other equipment that really is necessary to protect them as well as provide that training to make sure that we have the best.”
The Invest to Protect Act would invest in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training. It would also pay for body cameras and data storage, officer recruitment efforts, and give departments resources to provide mental health resources to their officers. The bipartisan package has more than a dozen sponsors and is backed by the national Fraternal Order of Police.
