The
California Organization of Police and Sheriffs (COPS) salutes United
States Senator Dianne Feinstein for her career of public service on
behalf of California. Senator Feinstein has a long history of working
with COPS. COPS Executive Director Monty Holden noted, "Senator
Feinstein has been a great friend of law enforcement. In Washington
D.C. and in California, she has always been a great friend of COPS. For
her tireless efforts for public safety, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
is awarded the 2006 COPS Award."
Bill
Hemby, COPS Legislative Advocate and a retired San Francisco Police
Officer, has known and worked with "Dianne" from the beginning of her
political career. In fact, while with the San Francisco Police
Department, Bill was the Training Officer for a rookie police officer
who (thirty years later) serves as Senator Feinstein’s State Director.
"Dianne
has been a trailblazer from the start, she has been a treasure for
California and we’re grateful to have her on our side. Senator
Feinstein is the first non-sworn peace officer to be honored with the
prestigious COPS Award."
Senator
Feinstein's career has been one of firsts - she was the first woman
President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman
Mayor of San Francisco, the first woman elected Senator of California
and the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A
native of San Francisco, she was elected to the San Francisco County
Board of Supervisors in 1969 and served 2 ½ terms as President of the
Board. She became Mayor of San Francisco in November 1978, following
the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
The
following year she was elected to the first of two four-year terms. As
Mayor, Dianne Feinstein managed the City's finances with a firm hand,
balancing nine budgets in a row. In 1987, City and State Magazine named
her the nation's "Most Effective Mayor".
Since
her election to the Senate 1992, Senator Feinstein has worked in a
bipartisan way to build a significant record of legislative
accomplishments helping strengthen the nation's security both here and
abroad, combat crime and violence and secure millions in appropriations
for Californians.
Senator Feinstein’s full committee responsibilities include sitting on:
the
Appropriations Committee, where she is the ranking member of the
Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee and a member
of the Energy & Water Development Subcommittee, the Agriculture,
Rural Development & Related Agencies Subcommittee, the Homeland
Security Subcommittee, the Interior Subcommittee and the Defense
Subcommittee;
the
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where she is a member of the
Water & Power Subcommittee, the Energy Subcommittee and the Public
Land & Forests Subcommittee.
and
the Judiciary Committee, where she is the ranking member of the
Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee and a member
of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship Subcommittee, the
Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee, the Constitution,
Civil Rights & Property Rights Subcommittee, the Crime & Drugs
Subcommittee and the Intellectual Property Subcommittee.
Senator Feinstein also sits on the Senate’s Intelligence Committee and Rules and Administration Committee.
As
a tireless advocate for public safety and homeland security, some of
Senator Feinstein’s most noteworthy accomplishments include:
creating
a Border Security and Visa Entry Reform, helping prevent terrorists
from entering the United States through loopholes in our immigration
system;
creating
the Crime Victims Rights Act, which gives victims of violent crimes a
core set of procedural rights under federal law and ensures that they
have standing to assert their rights before a court;
creating
the Assault Weapons Ban, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of 19
types of military-style assault weapons from 1994 – 2004, including
Uzis and AK-47s. This not only helped make the streets safer for the
public, but for police officers as well;
co-sponsoring
the COPS Program, which put 100,000 new officers on the streets across
the country, including more than 14,000 on the streets of California;
introducing
the Body Armor Act, which gave police officers greater access to body
armor, while at the same time restricting violent felons’ access and
use of body armor;
co-sponsoring
the Gun Free Schools Act, which set a "zero-tolerance" policy to keep
America’s schools gun-free by requiring all public schools to expel
students who carry a gun to school;
co-sponsoring
the National Police League Youth Enrichment Act, which authorized the
Justice Department to grant $16 million annually for five years to
police after-school programs to reduce crime and drug use;
introducing
the Methamphetamine Control Act, which increases the criminal
sentencing for possession and distribution of methamphetamine chemicals
or the equipment needed to make these chemicals;
and
introducing The Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act with Sen.
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) last year, which creates new federal crimes to
enable prosecutors to target violent gang members, makes changes to
current law to allow for effective prosecution of violent street gang
crimes, and authorizes $762.5 million for law enforcement and community
groups for suppression, prevention and intervention programs. The funds
from the Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act gave Police Chief
Bratton the resources needed to fight gang violence. Within his first
six months as Chief of Police, gang homicides dropped 25.3% from where
they were the year before.
To show your appreciation for Senator Feinstein’s efforts for law enforcement and homeland security, we urge you to sign our online "Thank You" petition acknowledging her accomplishments on behalf of California. COPS will be
delivering your personal "Thank You" during our honor presentation to
Senator Feinstein for her prestigious 2006 COPS Award.
Senator
Feinstein is the winner of the 2006 COPS Award for her efforts to fight
gangs, drugs and terrorists. Her work has helped peace officers and the
citizens they are sworn to protect.
Membership
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein wishes COPS a happy 30th anniversary.