Marietta Times – Thank you for a recent Times article noting the sacrifices that Ohio’s law enforcement officials make whenever they put on a badge and patrol our communities (“Take time to thank a law officer,” May 13).

According to the Times, four Marietta-area police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty since 1925. Law enforcement agencies nationwide reported that more than 57,000 officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2009. Ohio’s law enforcement officials and their families deserve the right to collectively bargain for their well-being. And they deserve public officials who are eager to stop the criminals who threaten their safety.

That’s why I’m co-sponsoring a bill that would create a national “Blue Alert” system aimed at apprehending criminals who injure or kill law enforcement officials. Modeled after the “Amber Alert” system used to find missing children, the “Blue Alert” system would disseminate critical information about suspected criminals to other law enforcement agencies, the public, and the media.

This is just one way we can express appreciation for the law enforcement officials who risk their lives to keep our communities safe.

Sherrod Brown

U.S. Senator (D-OH)

Read the whole article »