Congresswoman Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce, joined fellow representatives from three other states for a bipartisan press conference on Wednesday to recognize National Police Week and discuss a proposed violence prevention bill, officials said.
Hill was joined by Brian Babin, R-Woodville of California; Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston of Texas; Abigail Spanberger, D-Glen Allen of Virginia; and Gary Palmer, R-Hoover of Alabama for a bipartisan press conference on Wednesday.
They recognized National Police Week and discussed Babin’s bill, the Threat Assessment, Prevention and Safety (TAPS) Act (H.R. 838), which is a bipartisan, bicameral solution to prevent targeted violence and make local communities safer.
The press conference took place at the House Triangle, near the east steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. The representatives were joined by a contingent of police officers from the Houston Police Department, who had traveled to Washington D.C. for the Police Unity Tour 2019 in observance of National Police Week.
It was a privilege to lead the TAPS Act press conference today with @RepKatieHill, @RepDanCrenshaw, @RepSpanberger and @USRepGaryPalmer. This bipartisan and bicameral solution can be implemented NOW to prevent targeted violence and save lives. Thx @houstonpolice for attending! pic.twitter.com/AZ2q8RPJP1
— Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) May 15, 2019
“We do this first to honor the sacrifice of these men and women in blue, who put their life on the line every single day to protect us in the vital role that law enforcement plays in the safety and well-being of our communities and our districts,” said Babin in his opening statement. “And secondly to highlight a bipartisan solution — that we all are working on — to protect our communities and schools from the terrible acts of violence that we have seen, and are getting to be almost routine.”
The TAPS Act has been co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of almost 80 members of Congress and over 50 organizations, according to Babin.
“Our goal is to take a scientifically-validated process that has been in place literally for decades, and is even used by the Capitol police right where we are standing to protect us members of Congress, and to make it readily available on the state and local levels,” said Babin.
“We know that once the first shot is fired, it is too late,” said Babin. “We failed.”
I stand with our peace officers — the men and women who risk their lives for us, like my dad — in #CA25 and across the country, today and everyday.
On #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. There are no words for our gratitude or grief. ??? pic.twitter.com/TxPL7NJ8dz
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) May 15, 2019
Hill was joined by her father, Mike, at the podium, who currently serves as a lieutenant with the Beverly Hills Police Department.
“As a little girl I remember what it was like to wonder if my dad would make it home at night,” said Hill. “I remember being so scared for his life because he was on the front lines protecting mine, and all of the other members of the community.”
“For too long we have seen the lives of our law enforcement threatened by guns that have no business being on our streets, by violence that could have been prevented and by mass casualties that we should have seen coming,” said Hill. “The greatest country in the world should have the greatest security procedures in place.”
TAPS is meant to identify, investigate and mitigate threats before they happen, promoting the safety of schools, police officers and communities at large, according to Hill.
“We can’t agree on everything, and in fact, we won’t,” said Hill. “But we can all agree on the fact that we want our communities to be safe.”
The second Texas representative, Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL and recipient of the Purple Heart and several other decorations, shared his own support for the bipartisan legislation.
“The fact is that behavioral threat assessments work. They are an effective preventative tool, if only we can get them in the hands of those who need them,” said Crenshaw. “Just as we protect our president and other government officials we must protect American citizens from attackers in the most efficient and effective way possible.”
The techniques that TAPS proposes bringing to the local and state levels are already used by a number of organizations, including the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to Crenshaw.
The “local” level proposed by TAPS includes not only members of law enforcement, but also teachers and counselors.
“The TAPS Act does not create a one-size-fits-all solution, but acknowledges that there are differing needs across the country,” said Crenshaw. “No one in our country should have to live in fear, especially in schools, universities, workplaces or places of worship. The TAPS Act is a way to stop such violent attacks in their tracks.”
Tune in live! I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill along with @RepKatieHill, @RepBrianBabin, and @RepDanCrenshaw to support our law enforcement officers. #PoliceWeek2019 https://t.co/Ym33bKfa7q
— Rep. Abigail Spanberger (@RepSpanberger) May 15, 2019
Virginia Representative Spanberger, a former federal law enforcement officer with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and former CIA officer, understands from her own experience a small portion of what police officers go through on a day by day basis.
“Through the community-based threat assessments and management tools, the TAPS Act would give states the resources that they need to protect the lives and train the next generation of officers to embrace the best policies to keep themselves and their community safe,” said Spanberger.
Alabama Representative Palmer has had a much more personal brush with the type of incidents that the TAPS Act is attempting to prevent.
Palmer was on the field during the 2017 congressional baseball shooting incident during a practice session for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Alexandria, Virginia.
An Iowa man shot four people, including U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. A 10-minute shootout followed before officers with the Capitol and Alexandria police fatally shot the suspect, according to officials.
“I was the one to first call out that it was a gunshot, and we tried to get to cover. I saw police go down,” said Palmer. “I think that if we had this type of tool available, that might have been avoided.”
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goodness… she is a lawmaker? Hopefully she’s one term and done…
The Police State is here. This bill violates the Constitution, no matter how these rats word the bill.
So, are they going to take the guns away from the liberal politicians who carry in gun-free zones? Are they going to take the guns away from Pelosi, Waters, Schumer, who have spewed threats and hate with impunity?… Are they going to punish the liberals who aid, abet, harbor and protect the criminals in sanctuary cities?…that is a crime, you know.
Mow your lawn, its for the safety of the community and dont forget to cut your hair or you might disturb the peace.