Local from his face before a house judiciary subcommittee. This is an hour and 50 minutes. The sum committee will come to order. We will declare a recess of the subcommittee at anytime. We welcome everyone to todays hearing on the challenges faced in Law Enforcement in the 21st century. I recognize myself for an Opening Statement for a matter of quick personal indulgence. I would ask everyone to please remember our friend and colleague, tom tillis north carolina. I want to thank everyone for being here today. I want to thank chairman for this hearing. This week we celebrate National Police week and thats important to all the members of the subcommittee that we have a hearing to honor all Law Enforcement officers. I want to extend a special thank you to our witnesses for being here. We have with us to canterbury, my own personal chief, and director of Public Safety, Alonzo Thompson from the great city of spartanburg, south korea from Los Angeles County sheriff department. [inaudible] is that close . Forgive me. Im from South Carolina. I may get it wrong before i get it right again. From the great city of houston, texas. Each of you here today and each of our Law Enforcement across the nation dedicate your lies in their life to the precept which girds our country and that is respect for and adherence to the rule of law. I know every member in the subcommittee and member of congress would have your personal story about how officers have impacted their lives and would have their own personal testimony to the respect they have that women and men of lawenforcement. I know as i was preparing for this hearing, my mind went to an officer in greenville, carolina about alan jacobs. Alan about this time last year, maybe a little bit more than last year, learned he was going to be a father again but this time it was going to be different, he had two boys and this time he was going to be a father of a little girl. Life had prepared alan, very well to be a father. He was an outstanding student and he was a great athlete in greenville, salina. He put that athleticism and intelligence to work for our country and the United States army. He was deployed to iraq for 15 months and volunteered to live in the neighborhoods of baghdad because he understood all people want to live in a peaceful insecure environment. After iraq, allen was deployed to haiti because he wanted to add help the haitian people in the aftermath of their earthquake. But the tide of fatherhood was strong and it so strong that alan decided to return to the upstate of South Carolina but his desire to serve and protect remains. He let left the army and put on the uniform of the greenville state department. He pursued that calling with the same vigor and same strength and the same professionalism that epitomized every other facet of his life. Whether it was service on the swat team and his patrol officers. Alan would stop his patrol car from time to time and he would shoot basketball with the kids that could use a father figure and would provide to his kids and daughter. I learned all of this i learned of all of this from a phone call i had with his mother two days before his funeral. This man that survived iraq and haiti and boot camp and the Police Officer training could not and did not survive that encounter. The gang member that had just been released from jail. He never even had a chance to un holster his service weapon. He served prevent and detect and he was ambushed. His funeral gave all of us in South Carolina an opportunity on his life but chief thompson and the life of jason harris. We just lost in his own department. Responding to a call for backup from one of his fellow officers. [inaudible] any of the officers in the upstate of South Carolina. They gave the most precious thing they gave today to protect the most precious thing we have. Which is life. Law enforcement officers are willing to do what most of us are not willing to do and theyre willing to interact with people that most of us are not willing to interact with. They are willing to miss things in life that most of us are not willing to miss. Today we are honoring you and were here to listen and hear in part to memorialize those officers who lost their lives in the line of duty but also to respect and pay honor to those who are still with us. I want to thank you for being here. I am most interested in how we can help you do your jobs. The challenges are in our criminal Justice System and i want a system that is not only respected but worthy of respect and theres not a system we have in our country that cannot be improved. I am more than willing to hear ideas on how to improve it. There is Something Different about Law Enforcement officers and if we lose that sight of that as a society that not only do they wear a uniform and badge but they serve symbolically as a line to a law and order and those folks that are in not in good conscience. If we ever lose sight of that we are in trouble as a republic. I think all your witnesses and i look forward to hearing from you eric buys the gentleman from texas. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your courtesy and to the witnesses, thank you for your courtesy as well. I was in a Leadership Meeting and i thank you for recognizing or at least accepting my apologies for my delay. This is a very important hearing and as the chairman has indicated it is important that we try to help each other. Law enforcement and community. I want to acknowledge sheriff mcdonald, chief Alonzo Thompson, mr. Chuck canterbury, and chief arts for your presence here today. I want to say to you that we acknowledge in this week those who lived and those who have fallen. We need to ensure that those who live recognize that we never want to see any more tragedies and families not seeing their loved ones come home. In particular, i want to acknowledge persistent Clinton Greenwood of Harris County office who is literally executed and died on a fourthree train. Deputy sheriff Harris County died on 82815. Detective jerry wanner died on january generous 17 and five officers these among others in dallas who died july 26, Sergeant Michael smith, senior corporal lauren ahrens, officer patrick and officer michael. I went to that memorial and stood with those family members and we will never forget. It is important in todays hearing to explore the challenges and seek strategies to modernize and our Law Enforcement practices and policies. In order to increase police safety, nationwide and preventing the use of lethal force against a noncitizen and selfless Law Enforcement officers. We are going to make sure that we look at both sides of the issue and in particular we want to hear from you about Building Trust and respect. We want to understand what has been used from many in authorization and how we can balance the protection of the Community Needs with the various assets that you utilize. The need for responsible and comprehensive data, i believe, data is the science of police work. Then, of course, to be able to deal with the question of lethal force in protecting your life and those of the community. As judge learned hand and said if we are to keep our democracy better must be one commandment, thou shalt not ration justice. So, today i look forward to hearing from you as well. In keeping with this idea of justice, just want to make a point, chairman, that i made before and that is this full committee, we are the subcommittee on crime, as the judiciary commissioner in the senate, subcommittee led by our esteemed senator, senator lindsey graham, we must have a full investigation and demand an investigation of the president , the attorney general and Top White House aides, democrats on the oversight and the Judiciary Committee are asking for all memorandums that deal with the ending of the tenure of doctor comey and the allegation that the president asked director comey to end the Flynn Investigation and certainly, the release of classified information recognizing that the president can release classified information but what jeopardy has been put assets and the Intelligence Community and and of course, our allies. I read into the record that we are concerned that the continued failure of House Republicans to take action in the face of this onslaught allegations will cause significant damage to the base of the American People have and the credibility and integrity of our committee and the house of representatives. We have a solemn obligation under the constitution to act as a check on the executive branch and told the President Trump accountable. Again, not as democrats and republicans but as americans. It is time that we Work Together to be able to find the truth and obviously, the truth will be our guide. I think all of you for your service and your commitment to law and order and to the constitution. And for the service that we will never be able to thank you for as you protect the American People. I thank you so much. I yelled back. We have a very distinct panel today. Ill begin by swearing in our witnesses. If you will, rise and raise your right hand. The test test your about to give will be the whole truth, and and nothing but the truth. The witnesses answered in the affirmative. Let the record be known. I will ask you individually for your opening theme. Ill tell you on the front and that all members will have access to your Opening Statements and all the members have access to your Opening Statements so if you could summarize it and get the salient points within the five moment time point that will allow for more time for questions. Our first witness is sheriff mcdonald. He is the sheriff of los angeles california. Welcome, share. Our second witness is chief Alonzo Thompson. He is not just the chief, he is the director of Public Safety to me. In the district that ive absent in spartanburg, South Carolina. Hes exceptionally well regarded and respected in my hometown. Arthur witnesses mr. Chuck canterbury is a National President of internal order of police and i will allow ms. Jackson me to introduce our port witness. Our port witness is no stranger to one person. Were delighted with his service in the city of houston. He is a chief who is an active member, nationally in Law Enforcement issues and has served from california to texas, most recently in the city of austin. Now serves as the chief of police in houston, texas and i offered to say that we have a very collaborative effort on Law Enforcement and im very pleased to say that the chief will work with our Law Enforcement from federal to local to ensure the appropriate safe travels of houstonians and those who visit our great city. It is a delight to welcome chief art. Im also delighted to welcome family members. If any family members are here, i see smiling in the second row. I want to acknowledge them as well because theyre so very important to our Law Enforcement officers. I yield. And i want to acknowledge the Ranking Member. You will recognize for your Opening Statement. Sorry about that. Determine gaudi, Ranking Member jackson lee and singers members of the subcommittee, thank you for letting me testify. As sheriff of the largest county in the United States and is a peace officer for more than 35 years it is an honor to represent the sheriff was sworn to protect more than a hundred Million People across our great nation. Policing in america has never been more complex because we are the First Responders to some of americas greatest social challenges whether it is the growing opioid epidemic, the emerging threat of cyber terrorism, homegrown extremism and the growing prevalence of Mental Illness across our nation these are the 21st century challenges we should and must meet together. I submitted written testimony that expands on what i can share here due to time but it is available on the website. I will, however, touch briefly on a number of critical topics. As friday cyber attack that attempted to strike a hundred and 50 countries to make it Crystal Clear about how vulnerable we are and the potential scale that such an attack can have. These are complex threads that often lurked just beneath the surface of todays news headlines. Often they become known only after the imminent threat of a pending attack is made or worse. These are threats that challenge our government and bureaucratic institutions yet adaptive in our solutions and in our collective response. There is in a sheriffs apartment in this nation that immune to the impact of Mental Illness and drug addiction. The d installer to slice of the mentally ill that occurred in the 60s and 70s have turned our jails and prisons into de facto Mental Health hospitals. My deal system in Los Angeles County is in light nations largest Mental Health institution. 70 of the inmates process into our jails report a medical or Mental Illness. Nearly one third of my jail population numbers from one some Mental Health issue. On any given day upwards of 5000 inmates need treatment for their illness. That population is forecasted to double over the next ten years. And la county will need to invest more than twopoint to billion dollars in a new consolidated correctional Treatment Facility that can provide the Mental Health and medical services for this population which has nowhere else to go. Los angeles county jail along with Rikers Island complex in new york city and the Cook County Jail in chicago are the top three largest Mental Health providers in the nation. This is a failure of our criminal Justice System nationwide. There are times when jail is the best and most appropriate option , yes. But its our experience that jail is frequently, not the best solution. As a nation we have a critical need and a moral obligation to build the capacity for Treatment Options in our communities. We have the ability to support Strategic Partnerships with our Mental Health and social agencies provide the kind of treatment for services that can stabilize these individuals and keep them out of our deal system have a professional obligation to provide training for our officers of whom too much is expected. Too often our deputies arrived at a call for Service Always facing the unknown and frequently facing a situation where theyre asked to take on the role of a Mental Health professional. In Los Angeles County alone and areas placed by the sheriffs department, 911 calls involving people with Mental Illness have grown 55 since just 2010. We need to find and provide crisis intervention training to all First Responders both Law Enforcement and fire personnel. We have the ability to divert the individual away from the criminal Justice System and into proper Mental HealthTreatment Facilities in 99 of the encounters. The third step is diversion. I like to thank you for passing the national stepping up diversion. We should also look at dedicated Mental Health course. You could recommend Better Options for those suffering from Mental Illness other than jail or prison. Lastly, we need to have an adult conversation about what to do with those suffering from Mental Illness that do end up in the couple Justice System in our jails and prisons. We as a nation can agree that not everyone