APA Services commended the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary for holding a March 8 hearing entitled “Reimagining Public Safety in the COVID-19 Eraopens in new window.” The association also submitted psychology-informed recommendations for the committee’s consideration (PDF, 190KB)opens in new window. The recommendations centered on our nation’s mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, and the need for Congress to invest additional resources to help law enforcement and communities. Among the recommendations, APA Services encouraged a robust federal investment in local crisis intervention teams and mental health response teams, as well as initiatives to support officers and their families experiencing trauma. The association also called on Congress to reinvigorate efforts to pass bipartisan comprehensive policing reform legislation.
For more information, contact: Ben Vonachen, senior director of congressional and federal relations.