LANSING, Mich., Dec. 2, 2021 — Today, the Michigan House passed the Law Enforcement Officer bill package, HB 5130–5133, which would support law enforcement training and lower barriers to entry into the profession. The legislation would facilitate conditional loan forgiveness for training, create public assistance grants to support training, allow veterans and private security officers to enter the profession more easily, and require that tribal officers returning to the profession adhere to licensure procedures and standards. State Rep. Angela Witwer (Delta Township) issued the following statement in support of the legislation:
“Republicans and Democrats agree: We need to fund the police. I wholeheartedly support our police. Their jobs have always been difficult, and the pandemic and recent surge in gun violence have made them only more challenging. We need to make sure that we are attracting and retaining top talent, especially in underserved communities. This legislation will help accomplish that goal and ensure that our departments are staffed sufficiently to keep Michiganders safe.”