Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing

Remarks as Delivered

Thank you, Vanita for that overly generous introduction. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us for the sixth annual Attorney General’s Awards for Distinguished Service in Community Policing.

Can we have another round of applause to the students from McKinley Technology High School and Justice Department’s own Rhea Walker for starting this ceremony on such a lovely note?

I want to thank Director Clements and his entire team at the COPS Office for making today’s ceremony possible. And for the work they do every day to advance community policing.

The Associate Attorney General mentioned my long career at the Justice Department. I was here at the founding of the COPS Office, so I have an extra stake in this particular set of awards.

Today we are awarding 19 outstanding officers with the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing.

These awards acknowledge their exceptional work in criminal investigations, field operations, and innovative community policing strategies.

It is an honor to be here as we recognize these extraordinary individuals.

At the Justice Department, as the Associate Attorney General said, our mission is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

But we do not – and we cannot – do this work alone.

Every day, law enforcement officers across the country work to protect their communities.

They forge and maintain strong community ties that are essential to ensuring public safety.

And they put their lives on the line to make their communities better places to live.

State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies are some of the Department’s most important partners in our efforts to keep our country safe.

We know that you shoulder the heaviest burden when it comes to protecting your communities.

And we are proud to stand next to you and to work alongside you.

It is a special honor to recognize officers like today’s awardees, who represent the very best of this noble work.

You led complex investigations and pursued justice on behalf of victims who can no longer advocate for themselves.

You collaborated with your law enforcement partners across government to get illegal guns and drugs off the streets.

You deescalated dangerous situations and prevented them from ending in tragedy.

You created programs for under-served youth and older adults. And even in the midst of the pandemic, you found ways to connect with your communities.

You are true public servants. You are heroes.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I also am grateful to our awardees’ family members and loved ones, many of whom are with us today. Thank you for supporting these officers as they have pursued their careers in public safety.

At the end of the shift, you are there.

You are there through long hours and late nights.

You are there to support your loved ones as they bear the weight of the stress and the trauma that these jobs can inflict.

And you are there despite the sacrifices these jobs require of both the officers and their families. It is your care and encouragement that makes their service possible. Thank you.

Law enforcement is an indispensable profession.

At the Justice Department, we know it is also a difficult one.

Every day, law enforcement officers are asked to respond to some of the most difficult, most traumatic moments that our communities face.

You are asked to be on the frontlines of combatting violent crime. You are also asked to serve as first responders to some of our most entrenched social problems.

You confront devastating and dangerous situations. You witness horrible tragedies.

You endure extraordinary violence and threats of violence directed at you.

You do all of this as your offices continue to struggle with a crisis in recruitment and retention – increasing the already heavy load on those who serve.

And you did all of this during a global pandemic that strained your offices nationwide and made your jobs even harder.

At the United States Department of Justice, we are committed to doing everything in our power to support you. And to give back to the officers who have given so much to this country.

This year, the Department is seeking $2.7 billion for our COPS Office Hiring Program.

This funding will enable us to help our state and local law enforcement partners hire more full-time law enforcement professionals.

We are also investing in programs that support officer safety, health, and wellness; in incentives to improve recruitment and retention; and in initiatives that help law enforcement build trust between police and the communities they serve.

We are doing this because we know that when our officers are healthy and safe, our communities are, too.

Again, to every officer here today and to our honorees in particular: Thank you for all that you have done for our communities.

And thank you for all that you will continue to do.

The Justice Department, and our country, are grateful to you.

Speaker: Attorney General Merrick B. GarlandComponent(s): Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)Office of the Attorney General

Updated June 5, 2023Original Article