Justice & Law Enforcement
Improving Public Safety and Strengthening Communities
Keeping our communities safe means providing Rhode Island law enforcement with the resources they need to deter, prevent, and prosecute crime. It also means fostering collaborative partnerships between citizens, businesses, and cops on the beat.
A member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, Reed has secured vital funding for local police departments. He helped local communities create a unified, interoperable, emergency communications system so police, firefighters, and emergency officials can effectively communicate during emergencies.
In an effort to reduce crime nationwide, Senator Reed helped pass legislation to allow local police departments across the country to hire 100,000 new police officers through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. To date, Rhode Island communities have used funding from this program to hire over 400 police officers.
Read More »Reed hosts an annual FIRE grant workshop that have helped Rhode Island fire departments obtain over $28 million in federal support to improve their emergency response capabilities. He has also cosponsored legislation to provide police officers with life-saving bulletproof vests. Since 1999, this program has helped Rhode Island police departments purchase more than 7,000 vests.
Key Priorities & Accomplishments
- Reed helped pass Meghan’s Law and the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Database Act to crack down on violent offenders who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.
- Reed fought for initiatives like the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program, which focuses on out of school-hours activities for children that have been proven to reduce crime, drug use, and teen pregnancy.
- Secured $1 million for the Providence Police Department’s Gun Violence and Gang Reduction Initiative to expand intervention efforts that specifically address gun-related violence and gang activity. He also helped secure over $388,000 in federal crime prevention grants to enhance the state’s crime lab and medical examiner’s offices.
- Cosponsored the Second Chance Act, which was signed into law, to strengthen programs to reduce recidivism through job-skill training, substance abuse treatment, and other support services that increase the odds of successfully transitioning back into society as law-abiding citizens.
The Latest
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Tribute to Sergeant Maxwell R. Dorley
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today, along with the Presiding Officer, my colleague, Senator Whitehouse, to pay my respect and honor the life of Sergeant Maxwell R. Dorley, a distinguished and beloved member of the Providence Police Department, who passed away tragically in the line...
Posted on 4/25/2012 | -
Warwick, Harrisville, and Cranston Fire Departments Receive Over $374,000
In an effort to enhance fire department operations and safety and equip firefighters with the resources they need to save lives, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline today announced over $374,418 for the Warwick, H...
Posted on 2/6/2012 | -
Reed Wants Campaign Finance Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Controversial Citizens United Ruling
Today, January 21st, marks the two year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial 5-4 decision in the case Citizens United v. FEC, which fundamentally undermined the nation’s campaign finance laws and repealed efforts to limit the influence of special int...
Posted on 1/21/2012 | -
Reed and Whitehouse Help Deliver Thermal-Imaging Cameras for West Warwick Fire Department
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced $16,200 in federal funding for the West Warwick Fire Department to purchase two new thermal imaging cameras. The devices can detect body heat and hot spots in burning buildings, allowing firefighters to q...
Posted on 12/19/2011 | -
Reed Supports Teachers & First Responders Jobs Plan
In an effort to create jobs and provide much needed assistance to Rhode Island, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is calling for the swift passage of a common sense jobs bill to hire and retain hundreds of thousands of teachers, police, and firefighters nationwide, including a...
Posted on 10/19/2011 | -
Providence to Receive $1.35 Million COPS Hiring Grant
PROVIDENCE, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and James Langevin today announced the Providence Police Department is receiving $1.35 million to add 5 more police officers to patrols this year. Administered by the U.S....
Posted on 9/28/2011 | -
Reed, Whitehouse, Langevin Announce $629,452 for Coventry Fire District
U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI) today announced the Central Coventry Fire District will receive $629,452 in federal funding to help fill vacancies in the ranks. This direct federal assistance, provided thro...
Posted on 7/25/2011 |
