Senator Collins Attends Roll Call at Portland Police Department
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Portland, ME—U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited the Portland Police Department this afternoon to meet with Chief Frank Clark and deliver brief remarks to officers during roll call.
“It is truly an honor to meet with the brave men and women who make up the ‘thin blue line’ and to thank them for keeping our communities safe,” said Senator Collins. “As our country confronts the COVID-19 pandemic and listens to calls for needed social change, the Portland Police Department has responded to these challenges with compassion, restraint, and respect. In Maine, we are fortunate to have so many terrific professional law enforcement officers, devoted to their duty and to doing what is right.”
Earlier this year, Senators Collins and Angus King announced that Maine had been awarded funding through the CARES Act for law enforcement to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $219,535 for the Portland Police Department.
In May, Senators Collins and King joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing the week of May 10 through May 16 as National Police Week, which passed unanimously. This resolution honored police officers, sheriffs, and other law enforcement officers in Maine and throughout the country for serving our communities with valor, dignity, and integrity.
Last month, Senator Collins joined a group of her colleagues in introducing the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act. The legislation provides long-term solutions focused on police reform, accountability, and transparency, while also promoting efforts to find solutions to systemic issues affecting people of color such as education and health disparities. On June 24, Senator Collins voted to begin debate on the JUSTICE Act, but the Democratic Leader blocked this motion, preventing the Senate from even beginning discussions on police reform legislation.
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