Sen. Kelly Continues to Secure Investments that Support Law Enforcement, Keep Arizonans Safe, and Tackle the Border Crisis

As the son of two police officers, Arizona Mark Kelly understands how critical it is for law enforcement to have the tools and resources needed to keep our families and communities safe. Since taking office, Kelly has worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation and secure key investments that strengthen public safety efforts in communities across the state. Kelly has also successfully secured additional funding and resources for law enforcement and border communities to help manage the crisis at the southern border. 

See key ways Kelly has worked in the Senate to keep Arizona communities safe, support law enforcement, and tackle the border crisis. 

Funding for Police Departments, Public Safety Efforts: Recently, Kelly announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded Pima County, Casa Grande, and Glendale law enforcement agencies a total of $3,375,000 to hire additional full-time law enforcement professionals via the DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. 

Earlier this year, Kelly also secured over $4.4 million in the government funding bill for police departments and public safety efforts in cities and towns across Arizona. The Kelly-secured funding supports repairs and upgrades for a new police station, new patrol vehicles, and more medical equipment like cardiac monitors and CPR administrators for first responders. 

Investments to Recruit, Hire, and Retain More Border Patrol: In keeping with his commitment to supporting Arizona’s border communities, earlier this year, Kelly delivered more than $1 billion for border security and management priorities. As part of that funding, Kelly secured $100 million in additional funds for U.S. Border Patrol to retain and hire more personnel as they continue their mission of securing our southern border. In addition, Kelly introduced the Border Patrol Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to give Border Patrol agents a pay raise and increase the number of agents. 

Bill to Stop Fentanyl Trafficking at the Border: Building on his work to keep Arizona communities safe, Kelly introduced the Securing America’s Borders Against Fentanyl Act, legislation to ensure the Department of Homeland Security has the best technology and resources to stop fentanyl from being trafficked into the United States through our country’s borders and ports of entry. 

Boost School Safety and Mental Health Resources: Kelly worked alongside Republicans and Democrats to negotiate the framework of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, common-sense legislation to make communities and schools safer. The bipartisan bill, now law, includes funding for school safety resources, protections for victims of domestic violence, school-based mental health and supportive services, and much more.