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Ask your congressional representatives to protect those who protect us by supporting the Thin Blue Line Act. This legislation will provide local and state law enforcement officers the same protection and support currently provided to federal officers—acting as a deterrent to anyone who would look to harm an officer.
The Thin Blue Line Act, legislation sponsored by Congressman Vern Buchanan and Sen. Pat Toomey, would make the intentional killing, or attempted killing, of a local or state law enforcement officer, prosecutor, firefighter or other first responder acting in the line of duty an aggravating factor under the federal death penalty statute.
Under current federal law, the unlawful killing of a local or state law enforcement officer does not serve as an aggravator for purposes of the federal death penalty—although the unlawful killing of a federal law enforcement officer does qualify as an aggravator. This discrepancy lessens the likelihood of being charged with the death penalty for the murder of a local or state law enforcement officer, versus a federal law enforcement officer.
The Thin Blue Line Act will better ensure the same safety to local and state law enforcement officers that is currently provided to federal law enforcement officers. This additional protection is necessary as violent acts against officers continues to grow nationwide. In the first seven months of 2021, there has been a more than 40% increase in felonious line-of-duty officer deaths.