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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Reed Statement on Justice Department Collection of AP Phone Records
Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement in response to reports that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) collected telephone records from reporters and editors at the Associated Press in the spring of 2012, as part of a criminal investigation: “Thi...
Posted on 5/14/2013 | -
Reed Encourages RI Police Departments to Apply for Federal COPS Grants
In an effort to improve public safety and ease the strain on local budgets, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is encouraging local law enforcement departments in Rhode Island to apply for federal funding available under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. The...
Posted on 4/25/2013 | -
Senators Join with Day One to Recognize National Sexual Assault Awareness Month & Call for VAWA Funding
PROVIDENCE, RI - April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and today U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined with advocates from Day One to promote the need for communities to work together to prevent and respond to sexual violence, raise awareness of victims’ rights and...
Posted on 4/8/2013 | -
RI Congressional Delegation Holds Roundtable on Gun Violence
Providence, RI - As the U.S. Senate prepares to debate legislation to combat gun violence, the Rhode Island Congressional delegation held a roundtable this morning to discuss the importance of enacting laws to keep our communities safe. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse provided an...
Posted on 3/26/2013 | -
U.S. Senate Approves Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act
In an effort to protect women and families from domestic violence, the U.S. Senate today voted 78 to 22 to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a longtime VAWA supporter and cosponsor of this bill, called on the U.S. Hous...
Posted on 2/12/2013 | -
U.S. Senate Advances Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act
On a vote of 85 to 8, the effort to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) cleared a key procedural hurdle this evening and the bill is now on track to be approved by the full U.S. Senate this week. U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a strong supporter and co...
Posted on 2/4/2013 | -
$1.65 Million in Federal Funds to Help RI Fire Departments
PAWTUCKET, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced over $1.65 million in federal funds to recruit more volunteer firefighters statewide and help fire departments in Pawtucket and Bristol purchase essential pi...
Posted on 1/18/2013 |
