Indianapolis – February 1, 2024. The Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act (H.R. 6999) would prohibit district and state attorney offices who fail to prosecute at least 67% of violent crime arrests, from receiving grants through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Byrne Grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the U.S. Department of Justice. This bill, which was introduced by Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-9) and co-sponsored by Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19) in January, is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary. The bill’s text can be found here.
State and local governments rely on Byrne Grants as a key source of funding for crime prevention and control programs. Funds can be allocated for initiatives like specialized law enforcement training, crisis intervention teams for law enforcement-related mental health programs, victim assistance programs, and police overtime expenses. During this past cycle, more than $96 million was awarded to 949 Byrne Grant recipients.
The Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act was drafted to hold prosecutors accountable for failing to adequately initiate criminal proceedings against violent offenders. This phenomenon has grown in recent years and occurs in jurisdictions across the country, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York City. Prosecution rates of violent arrests in Washington, D.C., for example, have hovered in the 30% to 40% range over the past decade. At the same time, D.C. has experienced double-digit, and even triple-digit increases in major crime categories like homicides, armed robberies, carjackings, and arson.
Releasing criminals also demoralizes police officers, who risk their lives and may expend countless hours and resources to apprehend offenders. Ironically, as prosecutors are neglecting to hold violent offenders accountable, they are increasingly indicting police officers who unintentionally harm suspects while executing their oath per the U.S. Constitution and their training.
H.R. 6999 would also require prosecutors who oversee jurisdictions of more than 380,000 residents, to publish an annual account of their prosecution rates. This data is often not made publicly available, which denies Americans their right to know how often violent offenders are being released.
“Failure to prosecute violent crimes sends a clear message to criminals that their lawlessness will be tolerated. It places the American citizenry at increased risk, diminishes their quality of life, and damages local economies,” said Paula Fitzsimmons, Legislative Director, of the National Police Association. “Ideology has no place in the American criminal justice system,” Fitzsimmons added.
We thank Rep. Meuser for introducing the Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act and urge Congress to pass this critical bill.
About The National Police Association: The National Police Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit Educational/Advocacy organization. For additional information visit NationalPolice.org
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