WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers are introducing a bill meant to help police departments and sheriff's offices find more law enforcement officers.
It was introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R - TN) and Jon Ossoff (D - GA), and is named the "Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act." It is aimed at helping law enforcement agencies hire more people.
It would allocate $162 million for grants to cover the cost of hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers. The money would be available for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023.
Departments that receive the grants would need to use the money to perform a background check on the officer and to make sure they go through a mental health evaluation.
The Knoxville Police Department said around 15% of their positions remain open. A spokesperson said they have around 353 officers on staff, compared to their authorized strength of 416 officers.