Rep. Loudermilk Introduces Bill To Help Local Police Fight Terrorism

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Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk has introduced legislation designed to bolster local law enforcement’s involvement in fighting terrorism.

H.R. 4401, the Amplifying Local Efforts to Root out Terrorism (ALERT) Act of 2016, will allow federal law enforcement to train and work closely with state and local law enforcement in using the most effective tactics and methods to counter terrorism.

“Our local law enforcement is crucial to our national security, and they are too often overlooked as a valuable asset in fighting against acts of terrorism,” said Rep. Loudermilk (R-Cassville). “That’s why I introduced the ALERT Act, to provide training, improve coordination and increase community awareness of the foreign fighter threat. This bill evolved from months of research and investigation, as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Foreign Fighter Task Force. As the threats against America by radical Islamists increases, fighting terrorism cannot be a singular effort, conducted by one element of our federal government; it requires the cooperation and coordination of multiple levels of all governments, and local community participation. My legislation will not, in itself, end the threat of terrorism against our nation, but it will add to the critical resources already in our communities.”

This legislation will:

• Authorize the Department of Homeland Security to train state and major urban area fusion centers (local and state law enforcement personnel) in the most effective tactics and methods used to counter terrorism;
• Provide increased community awareness of ongoing terror threats;
• Direct the DHS secretary to coordinate with heads of government agencies, to engage in community outreach related to countering violent extremism; and
• Require the department to report the findings of their counter-terrorism efforts, and ensure DHS assesses the number of clearances they sponsor for state and local law enforcement.

The ALERT Act was marked up and passed out of the Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk represents Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, which includes all of Bartow and Cherokee counties and portions of Cobb and Fulton counties. Rep. Loudermilk serves as a member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Science, Space and Technology. He may be reached at (202) 225-2931 or by email at loudermilkcomms@mail.house.gov.

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