ATLANTA - Senator Kelly Loeffler unveiled new legislation Monday to discourage taking any money from police departments.
The Protecting Public Safety and Support Law Enforcement Act would withhold Federal Highway Safety funding from any state or local government that reduces funding for law enforcement without a clear budgetary need.
“We’re seeing the radical idea of defunding the police play out in real-time in places like Minneapolis and Seattle, and it is frightening,” the Senator from Georgia was quoted as saying in a release sent to FOX 5 News. “This reckless and dangerous defund effort will jeopardize public safety, create chaos and increase crime. While we must address police misconduct, we need to work on solutions that are commonsense reforms and support our police officers who work tirelessly to maintain order, keep families safe and protect their communities. This legislation provides additional safeguards for police funding to ensure our law enforcement officers continue to have the resources they need to keep all Americans safe.”
If approved and passed the bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to withhold 5 percent of certain highway safety funds awarded to state and local governments if those entities chose to defund or reduce police funding.