Fraternal Order of Police Endorses Pappas’s EAGLE Act

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced the National Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed his bipartisan EAGLE Act.

“I’m honored the Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed my bipartisan legislation to help small and mid-sized police departments pursue accreditation and training,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “Too many departments lack the resources to initiate this process, and my legislation would provide grants directly to our departments to fund training and implement best practices. I remain committed to ensuring that law enforcement, public safety, and first responders get the resources they need to do their jobs and keep our communities healthy, safe, and secure.”

The Establishing Accreditation Grants for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Act would authorize $10 million in funding for small and mid-sized police departments to earn or renew accreditation from state, regional, tribal or national police accreditation organizations, such as the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This legislation would help police departments update their standards and best practices to strengthen accountability, enhance community trust, and improve operational effectiveness. 

Only a small fraction of police departments nationwide are accredited, in part because the process can be costly. In response, the EAGLE Act would establish a grant program that small and mid-sized police departments (those with fewer than 350 employees) can utilize to pay for the process of earning accreditation. The bill was the product of a series of conversations between Congressman Pappas, New Hampshire law enforcement officials, and reform advocates. All New Hampshire municipal police departments would qualify for these funds.