[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 68439-68440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22242]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 68439]]


                Proclamation 10641 of September 29, 2023

                
National Community Policing Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                All Americans want the same thing: neighborhoods free 
                of violence and crime, for our loved ones to come home 
                safely each day, and fair and impartial justice under 
                the law. During National Community Policing Week, we 
                recommit to achieving those goals by strengthening the 
                trust and partnership between law enforcement and 
                communities across our Nation.

                The vast majority of police officers put their lives on 
                the line every day to do the right thing. They pin on 
                their shield and walk out the door toward danger, 
                risking their lives to keep the rest of us safe. They 
                are good, dedicated, honorable people, who work hard to 
                cultivate positive relationships with the communities 
                they have sworn to protect, serving at a time when 
                working in law enforcement is harder than it has ever 
                been. Law enforcement officers are expected to act as 
                counselors, social workers, and psychologists as they 
                respond to drug overdoses, domestic violence, abandoned 
                children, mental health crises, and other incredibly 
                challenging situations.

                Trust between law enforcement and the communities they 
                serve is the foundation of public safety. When officers 
                on the beat know the neighborhoods and the families 
                they are serving and protecting; when they get the 
                training, resources, and tools they need to do their 
                jobs; and when they earn the community's trust, we are 
                all safer and stronger. Without public trust, there is 
                less public safety--crimes go unreported, cases go 
                unsolved, witnesses fear coming forward, victims suffer 
                in isolation, perpetrators remain free, and justice 
                remains undelivered.

                That is why my Administration has taken historic steps 
                to support community policing and strengthen public 
                trust in law enforcement by providing officers with the 
                resources and training they need to be the partners and 
                protectors our communities deserve. When funding for 
                police was at risk because of the pandemic, my 
                Administration's American Rescue Plan delivered a 
                historic $350 billion to help States and cities 
                respond. Hundreds of communities across our Nation have 
                committed over $10 billion of those funds to retain and 
                hire more officers; pay overtime and bonuses; and 
                secure more crisis responders and personnel to provide 
                for substance use disorder, mental health, and violence 
                intervention services. We committed more Federal 
                resources to supporting State and local law enforcement 
                in the first year of my Administration than almost any 
                other year on record. Furthermore, I signed the most 
                sweeping gun safety law in nearly 30 years to ensure 
                that officers are not out-gunned on the streets. And we 
                are strengthening background checks for gun purchasers, 
                cracking down on illegal gun sales, and reigning in 
                ghost guns that officers have increasingly reported 
                finding at crime scenes.

                After Senate Republicans blocked the passage of the 
                George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in 2021, I signed 
                an Executive Order--with the support of leaders from 
                law enforcement and civil rights groups as well as 
                affected families, including the Floyd family--that put 
                Federal policing on a path to becoming the gold 
                standard for effective and accountable policing. 
                Incorporating key elements of the George Floyd Justice 
                in Policing Act, the

[[Page 68440]]

                Executive Order requires Federal law enforcement 
                agencies to ban chokeholds, restrict no-knock warrants, 
                provide de-escalation training, and implement stronger 
                use-of-force policies that include the duty to 
                intervene and render medical aid. Further, we mandated 
                that Federal officers submit use-of-force data to the 
                FBI's Use-of-Force Data Collection and log officer 
                misconduct and commendation records into a new national 
                accountability database. The Executive Order also 
                directs Federal resources to support similar reforms 
                within State, Tribal, local, and territorial law 
                enforcement agencies as we continue to call on the 
                Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing 
                Act.

                My Administration's Safer America Plan builds on these 
                actions by seeking an additional $37 billion to hire 
                100,000 more State and local police officers trained in 
                safe, effective, and accountable community policing 
                consistent with the standards in my Executive Order; to 
                provide law enforcement with mental health and wellness 
                resources; to ensure more psychologists and social 
                workers are available to respond to a crisis alongside 
                them; and to establish and support programs that are 
                proven to tackle the root causes of crime.

                There is no greater responsibility of government than 
                ensuring the safety of the American people and those 
                who sacrifice to protect us all. This week, let us 
                recognize the heroism, selflessness, and courage of 
                police officers across America. Let us honor the 
                communities they serve for their undaunted efforts to 
                advance equal justice, safety, and dignified treatment 
                for all. And let us commit to building a future that 
                supports public safety, promotes trust, and unites 
                communities across the Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 1 
                through October 7, 2023, as National Community Policing 
                Week. I call upon law enforcement agencies, elected 
                officials, and all Americans to observe this week by 
                recognizing ways to improve public safety, build trust, 
                and strengthen community relationships.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of 
                the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
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[FR Doc. 2023-22242
Filed 10-3-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P