Pappas Reintroduces EAGLE Act, Bipartisan Legislation to Help Small Police Departments Strengthen Community-Oriented Policing

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) reintroduced his legislation to establish a new grant program at the Department of Justice alongside Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). They were joined by Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02), Don Bacon (NE-02), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Angie Craig (MN-02), Don Davis (NC-01), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11).

The Establishing Accreditation Grants for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Act will 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). Authorizing these funds will help police departments update their standards and best practices to strengthen accountability, enhance community trust, and improve operational effectiveness. 

“From my conversations with law enforcement I know that many New Hampshire departments need additional funding to serve our communities and pursue priorities like accreditation,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would directly address that obstacle so local departments in New Hampshire and across the country can improve training, raise standards, and implement best practices through the accreditation process. I will continue working across the aisle to build support for this legislation, and urge leadership to bring it and other legislation that will ensure our local departments are properly resourced to the floor for a vote this Congress.”

“Accreditation for law enforcement departments is critical to their ability to operate efficiently with the trust of our communities,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “The EAGLE Act streamlines the accreditation process for local police departments, and I’m proud to join Congressman Pappas on this bipartisan legislation.”

“Our New Hampshire law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities – we must ensure they have the funding and resources needed to do their jobs safely,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I am proud to join my colleague Chris Pappas in introducing this legislation to make it easier – not harder – for our police departments to access grants to get accredited and protect communities across the Granite State.”

This legislation is the product of a series of conversations between Congressman Pappas, New Hampshire law enforcement officials, and reform advocates from New Hampshire; and is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executive Association. All New Hampshire municipal police departments would qualify for funding under this legislation. 

“The accreditation of a law enforcement agency can increase their accountability, improve operational effectiveness, and enhance community trust, but less than 10% of our nation’s agencies are accredited,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the National Fraternal Order of Police said. “Accreditation is a costly and time-consuming process, and this legislation, which establishes a grant program that would pay the certification or recertification fees for small and mid-sized law enforcement agencies, will really help and improve the ability of these agencies to protect their communities.”

"We fully endorse the law enforcement accreditation process as a crucial first step towards reforming policing in our communities. However, we must acknowledge that the current reality is that only a fraction of our nation's law enforcement agencies are accredited, with even fewer small and rural agencies having the resources to do so. The introduction of the Establishing Accreditation Grants for Law Enforcement Act would be a gamechanger for these agencies, providing the necessary financial support to kickstart a more comprehensive and inclusive process of reforming law enforcement," said Sheriff Ret. Mike Brown, President of the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association.

"This bill helps law enforcement in our rural communities bolster their accreditations with scarce resources. This is vital to ensure officers receive optimal training in community service and tackling complex, local challenges. It will also help build trust and accountability with the communities we serve," said Sheriff Eli Rivera, Cheshire County Sheriff and Sergeant-at-Arms for the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association Board of Governors.