On August 18th the Virginia Assembly will be holding a special session focused primarily on Criminal Justice & Police Reform including 6 policy areas & 27 bills. The Governor & many VA legislators have joined the movement to defund the police. They are entertaining legislation that will make Virginians LESS SAFE. In addition they are attempting to put Law Enforcement Officers at greater risk in a job that is already inherently risky. In late July the House Courts of Justice & Public Safety Committees discussed priorities for the upcoming special session. Following are some of the more alarming items on the agenda: 

1) Defunding Police operational budgets 

2) Removing School Resource Officers from our schools 

3) Ending "no-knock" warrants (these are issued by judges in situations where concerns for the destruction of objects for which Police are searching or would compromise the SAFETY of the Police or other individuals)  

4) Dismantling & Defunding SWAT & Tactical Teams 

5) Removing qualified immunity statues from the Virginia Code for law enforcement agents which would open Police Officers up to civil lawsuits

6) Make assault on Law Enforcement Officers a misdemeanor instead of a felony

Send a message to Governor Northam & Virginia legislators that we do not support Anti-Police legislation that will make our communities less safe.  We support the dedicated Officers who put their lives on the line to protect ours. Officers are critical to maintaining a safe Virginia. We should be defending Police, instead of defunding them. 

Clink link for a more comprehensive list of anti-Police items on the agenda:

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/senate-democrats-release-plan-for-criminal-justice-reform-in-virginia/article_6ce07874-b894-11ea-87a0-d71704d5296a.html