House Passes Golden-Backed Invest to Protect Act to Dramatically Increase Federal Funding for Small Police Departments

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed the Invest to Protect Act today, a bill for which Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) is an original cosponsor, to establish $300 million in federal grant funding through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program specifically for small police departments like the vast majority of those in Maine. 

“In small towns across America, our police departments are finding themselves without the personnel and resources they need to protect and serve their communities,” said Golden. “I’ve heard it from officers across our state: this is a serious problem in Maine. With much-needed funding for recruitment of new officers, equipment and resources, and training specifically for smaller law enforcement departments, I’ve backed this bipartisan bill since the day it was introduced. I’m proud to vote for this bill and I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to bring this funding back home to small-town police departments in Maine.”

Law enforcement leaders from Maine praised the bill’s passage:

“We’re grateful to Representative Golden for the leadership he’s taken to support law enforcement in rural Maine, in particular helping to pass the Invest to Protect Act today. In a state where the vast majority of police departments would qualify for the grants included in this bill, this legislation will go a long way towards making sure our rural sheriffs and police departments have the resources they need to protect their communities with a well-trained, full-staffed police force.” - Mike Edes, Executive Director, Maine Fraternal Order of Police

This legislation is also supported by the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, National Troopers Coalition, and the National Sheriffs’ Association.

The Invest to Protect Act contains important provisions that prioritize the needs of local police departments with fewer than 125 officers by providing $300 million over 5 years to help recruit, retain, and train officers.

Golden has been a consistent champion for law enforcement officials in Maine and across the country, particularly in rural areas. In March, Golden voted to substantially increase funding for local law enforcement and border patrol officers as part of the omnibus government funding bill. He was one of just two Democrats to vote against a sweeping police reform measure last year, in part because of its impact on qualified immunity protections for police officers. This past January, Golden introduced the bipartisan COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act of 2021. The legislation would nearly triple available funding for the COPS program to over $1 billion in FY2022, reauthorize the program for ten years, and specifically expand access to the grants for rural communities. 

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