Uniformed law enforcement officers would be permitted to carry agency-issued firearms in certain federal facilities under legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN).
The congressman on May 14 led two Republican cosponsors in introducing the Protecting Officers of the Law In Civilian Establishments (POLICE) Act of 2021, H.R. 3250, which would amend current federal law that requires state and local law enforcement officers to disarm before entering federal property, according to his office.
“In honor of National Police Week, I’m proud to reintroduce the POLICE Act, which I worked on with local law enforcement,” said Rep. Hollingsworth last week. “This bill would offer additional protections to our police men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities.”
Rep. Hollingsworth previously introduced the bill following a meeting in 2017 with Floyd County, Indiana, Sheriff Frank Loop, who shared his frustrations about how the federal law made his uniformed officers vulnerable and unable to respond to an emergency, the congressman’s office said, noting that the pair then authored the POLICE Act.
“Congressman Hollingsworth is always available and enthusiastic to listen to the thoughts and concerns of Indiana’s law enforcement,” Sheriff Loop said. “An unarmed police officer is limited in the action they can take to protect themselves or the public in an emergency. The POLICE Act fixes this double standard our current law places on law enforcement and helps better protect our police men and women.”