Franken awarded for work on behalf of law enforcement

U.S. Senator Al Franken was honored recently by the National Association of Police Organizations. The group presented him with an award in recognition of his work on behalf of law enforcement in Minnesota and across the country. For example, the organization appreciates Franken’s introduction of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act, which attempts to address the mental health crisis in the justice system.

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) was honored on May 13, 2014, by the National Association of Police Organizations for his work on behalf of law enforcement in Minnesota and across the country.

Since joining the Senate, Franken has strongly supported legislation to help the law enforcement community. For example, he authored the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act, which would address the mental health crisis in our justice system, and he’s backed several bills to help keep police officers safe.

“Law enforcement is the first line in keeping our communities safe,” said Franken. “And we need to be doing everything we can to ensure that law enforcement officers get to go home to their families at night. I’m honored to accept this award from the National Association of Police Organizations, and I look forward to continuing our work to help law enforcement in Minnesota and across the country.”

Last year, Franken and Rep. Rich Nugent (R-Fla.) introduced the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act to bring more resources to law enforcement, the courts, and correctional facilities to help them better address the mental health issues they encounter in their communities. The legislation, which cleared a key legislative hurdle last year when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, would help reduce recidivism and improve safety for law enforcement officers.

Franken has also supported legislation to provide state and local governments with additional funding to purchase body armor for law enforcement. He’s also worked to establish a national “Blue Alert” system—similar to Amber and Silver Alerts—to help catch suspects who have killed or injured police officers.

The National Association of Police Organizations is one of the nation’s largest law enforcement advocacy groups, representing more than 1,000 police units and associations and over 241,000 sworn officers.