The Council announces the establishment of the CLER Standing Committee on National Policy. The Standing Committee's goal is to create sustained, consistent, national (federal) support for law enforcement reserves that can be best achieved by creating an office of reserve law enforcement programs within the DOJ.
The Committee's Chairman is Col. Steven Sheffer, FHPA, MPO. CLER Chairman William Cox, JPO, will serve as co-chair. Together, they will develop the Committee's policy platform. Other positions will include Vice-Chairs for Strategy, Special Programs, Agency Coordination, and Roundtables. The committee will reach out to the federal government, as well as to state governments, to ensure the creation and continuation of a national network of interoperable law enforcement reserve programs. This goal should become a component of national security.
As all government budgets become increasingly constrained, the value offered by certified, trained, and experienced reserve law enforcement officers (RLEOs) is too great to be ignored, under-developed, or under-utilized. RLEOs are most critical in the smallest agencies, where RLEOs provide the majority of an agency's personnel. Only the federal government can provide the enabling authority, policies, and financial support to create an effective, interoperable, nationwide, pool of law enforcement reserves. In times of national crisis, a well developed national law enforcement reserve program can provide the essential surge capacity at best value to ensure the public's safety, and meet the increased security needs of the community and jurisdiction.
