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 Dianne Feinstein 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.