Gillen Joins Gottheimer and Rutherford in Reintroducing “Invest to Protect Act” to Strengthen and Support Local Law Enforcement Agencies

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to reintroduce the Invest to Protect Act, which would help ensure that small to mid-size police departments are adequately staffed and funded.
“Every day, the brave men and women of Long Island’s law enforcement risk their lives to keep our communities and loved ones safe,” said Rep. Gillen. We have an obligation to ensure they have the proper training and necessary resources to carry out their duties effectively and safely. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide vital resources to our nation’s law enforcement officers that will keep Long Islanders safe.”
The bipartisan Invest to Protect Act of 2025 will:
- Invest in officer safety, de-escalation, and domestic violence response training, allowing officers to receive critical training that will make them more effective at their jobs;
- Create grants for small departments to recruit new officers to bolster their departments;
- Provide retention bonuses to keep existing officers as a part of their communities;
- Fund officers’ tuition for graduate studies in mental health, public health, and social work up to $10,000; and allow departments to provide mental health resources for their officers.
There is a critical need to support small and midsized police departments:
- The vast majority of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are smaller than 200 full-time sworn officers.
- More than 94% of local U.S. police departments have fewer than 100 sworn officers.
- Small law enforcement agencies protect and serve our communities with strained resources and growing needs for additional support, training, and funding.
Gillen has consistently been a strong supporter of Nassau County’s law enforcement agencies. She previously met with officers from a number of local departments to discuss public safety concerns impacting New York’s Fourth Congressional District. In Congress, Gillen voted against a partisan funding bill that stripped millions in public safety funding for New York’s Fourth Congressional District and supports the bipartisan HERO Act.