The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) are disappointed that Senate negotiators could not reach agreement on police reform legislation, and we thank all those Members of Congress who partnered with us in this effort. Our organizations were, and remain, committed to enacting carefully balanced and thoughtful legislation that promotes systemic criminal justice reform, while adopting a strategic approach to combating crime and prioritizing community and officer safety.

Despite some media reports, at no point did any legislative draft propose “defunding the police.” In fact, the legislation specifically provided additional funding to assist law enforcement agencies in training, agency accreditation, and data collection initiatives. It is our joint belief that the provisions under discussion would have strengthened the law enforcement profession and helped improve the state of community police engagement without compromising management and officers’ rights, authorities, and legal protections.

Our organizations remain steadfast in working with all interested parties who are willing to take a fact-based approach to enact effective and lasting change, to avoid a patchwork of state laws that do not provide uniform standards and guidance to the policing profession. The IACP and the FOP will continue to embrace the challenge, instill strong values into our agencies at all ranks, and hold ourselves accountable for our actions, in order to build a more cohesive and safer future for our communities.