Political Quotes

“I am honored to join with my colleagues in honoring the men and women of law enforcement during National Police Week. This year, it was our colleague Mr. Blunt, the Senator from Missouri and the leader of our Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, who arranged an opportunity for us to speak on the floor, and I thank him for that. I wish to commend my colleagues Senators Grassley and Feinstein for putting together the National Police Week Resolution. As of yesterday afternoon, there were 75 cosponsors to this resolution, which is more than we have had previously. In 2017, the law enforcement community lost 199 of its bravest to line-of-duty incidents. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports that 53 officers have given their lives in 2018; 28 of those killed by firearms. This is a 56-percent increase over the same period in 2017. I am very grateful that in Alaska we have not lost an officer in 2018. We are praying that continues and that we don't see any moving forward, but we know, like every other State out there, we are living on borrowed time. Law enforcement families live on borrowed time. The job is inherently dangerous, and we pray and wish and hope that loved ones return home at the end of his or her shift. Really, we know there are no guarantees, and there never will be. The last Alaska officer to give his life to protect ours was Sergeant Allen Brandt. He was with the Fairbanks Police Department. His end of watch was October 28, 2016.…”