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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, In 1994, the Violent Crime Control and Law |
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Enforcement Act created the Community Oriented Policing Services |
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(COPS) program and for more than a decade the COPS initiative has |
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awarded more than $11 billion to over 13,000 agencies across the |
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country; in the last six years, however, the COPS program has |
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suffered numerous cuts in funding, threatening to reverse the |
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improvements in law enforcement credited to the program at a time |
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when national security is a concern at all levels of government; and |
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WHEREAS, The recently filed Prosperous and Secure Neighbor |
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Alliance Act of 2007 would allocate $170 million to the United |
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Mexican States to professionalize the Mexican police force for |
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patrols along the U.S.-Mexico border, sending a significant portion |
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of the limited federal aid available to Mexico, further |
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jeopardizing the efforts of state and local law enforcement |
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agencies that depend on continued funding through the COPS program; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Among the initiatives established under the COPS |
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program is the universal hiring program that resulted in the hiring |
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or redeployment of more than 118,000 law enforcement officers in |
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over 12,000 enforcement agencies nationwide and training |
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initiatives that have helped deliver to more than 340,000 officers |
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classes on topics ranging from ethics to terrorism; in offering |
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grants to implement innovative programs such as these, COPS has |
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played a significant role in reducing the crime rate in many areas |
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of the country; but recent cuts to the program have negatively |
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impacted recipient agencies across the country and specifically |
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along the Texas-Mexico border where Texas law officers are |
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consistently understaffed, underpaid, and overworked; and |
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WHEREAS, While the United States must rely on neighboring |
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nations to do their part to maintain border security, it is equally |
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crucial that programs such as COPS continue to receive the funding |
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necessary to provide adequate resources to safeguard our borders |
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and achieve a level of security expected by the American people; |
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unfortunately, sending funds to Mexico and at the same time |
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reducing federal assistance locally substantially imperils this |
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worthy goal; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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restore full funding to the Community Oriented Policing Services |
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program to assist Texas law enforcement in patrolling the border |
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before authorizing funding for the police force of the United |
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Mexican States; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |
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Martinez |
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Guillen |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 125 was adopted by the House on |
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April 13, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 125 was adopted by the Senate on May |
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15, 2007, by a viva-voce vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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__________________ |
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Governor |