Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Presidential Documents 81817 

Proclamation 10831 of October 4, 2024 

National Community Policing Week, 2024 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Every day that our police officers put on that shield and walk out the 

door, they put their lives at risk to ensure the rest of us are safe. During 

National Community Policing Week, we honor police officers’ service and 

sacrifice, recommit to supporting them, and reaffirm that community policing 

practices that advance public trust are the gold standard for law enforcement. 

In the first half of this year, according to preliminary data submitted to 

the FBI, the homicide rate continued to fall at record speed, declining 

by 22.7 percent, while the violent crime rate fell by 10.3 percent to its 

lowest level since 1969. These record decreases follow the historic declines 

in crime in 2023, including the largest-ever decrease in the homicide rate. 

The decreases are in no small part due to the hard work and courageous 

efforts of law enforcement across America. 

As President, public safety and crime reduction are top priorities for my 

Administration and me. Since day one, my Administration has worked 

with law enforcement, mayors, and community leaders to do what we know 

works to keep people and communities safe. Through my American Rescue 

Plan, we made the largest Federal investment toward public safety in our 

Nation’s history—delivering more than $15 billion in aid for local and 

State governments to keep law enforcement on the beat, retain and hire 

more police officers, pay overtime and bonuses, and expand benefits for 

disabled first responders. States, counties, and cities have already invested 

that funding to make their communities safer, and we added billions more 

in grants through the Department of Justice to help cities invest in law 

enforcement and community violence interruption programs. 

I also know that being in law enforcement today is harder than ever— 

police are expected to respond to so many challenging situations, from 

drug overdoses and mental health crises to domestic violence, child abandonment, and more. That is why my Administration has invested in increasing 

the number of crisis responders who work alongside police officers to respond 

to non-violent crimes. We have made more investments in recruiting, retaining, and training officers. I have called for funding that would put 100,000 

more officers on the street who are trained in community policing. Additionally, we need to invest more in technology and training to solve crimes 

faster and clear court backlogs, and we need more detectives to solve murders 

and more deputy United States Marshals to apprehend fugitives. 

Police officers deal with unbelievable stress. Every time an officer responds 

to a call, executes a warrant, or conducts a traffic stop, there is a tremendous 

risk: the fear of ambush, the anxiety of not knowing what is behind that 

door, and the trauma of bearing witness to the most horrible tragedies 

imaginable. That is why I have been laser-focused on providing officers 

with the mental health and wellness resources they need and deserve. I 

also signed extended benefits for families of officers who have tragically 

died by suicide. 

Our police officers are dedicated, honorable, and good people—they build 

trust with the communities they serve because they know that trust is 

the foundation of public safety. Our communities are safer and stronger 


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81818 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

when our officers have the resources, training, and tools they need to do 

their jobs and walk the beat, getting to know the neighborhoods and the 

people they serve. A lack of trust from the public means less public safety 

for all of us: crimes do not get reported, witnesses do not come forward 

and cases do not get solved, victims suffer while perpetrators roam free, 

and justice goes undelivered. 

When communities trust the police, crimes get solved faster. That is why 

when Republicans blocked the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing 

Act of 2021, a bill that the Vice President coauthored while in the Senate, 

we took action. I signed a historic Executive Order to set the gold standard 

for law enforcement. In part, it requires Federal law enforcement agencies 

to develop best practices that attract, support, and retain officers who are 

representative of the communities they are sworn to serve. We have also 

made historic investments in proven strategies to interrupt and prevent 

violence in the first place, including using trusted messengers who are 

trained to disrupt violence. At the same time, I signed the most significant 

gun safety law in nearly three decades and have taken more executive 

actions to stop the flow of illegal guns than any other administration in 

history. 

There is more work to be done. My Safer America Plan calls on the Congress 

to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention. 

The plan would fund 100,000 additional police officers, invest $5 billion 

in community violence interventions, and enact commonsense gun safety 

reforms, such as a universal background check requirement and a ban on 

assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. 

There is no greater responsibility than keeping our families, neighborhoods, 

and Nation safe. During National Community Policing Week, we reaffirm 

our commitment to choosing progress over politics when it comes to supporting our law enforcement and ensuring the safety of our communities. 

We honor the heroism, bravery, and sacrifice of our police officers. And 

may we recommit to upholding one of our Nation’s most fundamental values: 

justice for all. 

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 6 through 

October 12, 2024, 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-police relationships. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Presidential Documents 81819 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day 

of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortyninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23456 

Filed 10–8–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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