U.S. Attorney Coleman Appointed To Trump's Law Enforcement Group

Edmonson Voice photo of U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
United States Attorney Russell Coleman, who serves KY's western district, which includes Edmonson County, will serve on President Donald Trump’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Law Enforcement Recruitment and Training Working Group. The Working Group will hear from experts and practitioners with firsthand experience within law enforcement about best practices, challenges, and innovative strategies to address and enhance law enforcement operations and processes, including the recruitment and training of law enforcement.

“Our very finest in Kentucky and the nation wear a badge,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “I am honored to support the President’s Law Enforcement Commission through service on this effort to explore the critically important challenges of recruitment, retention, and training of our law enforcement colleagues.”
 
The Working Group meeting will focus on the issues affecting officer recruitment, retention, and training. The group will evaluate how to improve and increase the enlistment, retention, and training of police officers across the country and develop recommendations to submit to the Commission. The Commission meeting will include topic-specific panel presentations, during which the President’s Law Enforcement Commission will hear from a number of witnesses, participating in topic-specific panel discussions, who will share information about officer safety, health, and wellness needs, challenges, lessons learned, best practices, successful programs, and other information that directly address the police officer safety, health, and wellness focus area.
 
On October 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13896, authorizing and designating the Attorney General to create such a Commission that would explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime.  Attorney General William P. Barr announced the establishment of the Commission on January 22, 2020. 
 
The Executive Order instructs the Commission to conduct its study by focusing on the law enforcement officers who are tasked with reducing crime on a daily basis. It also directs the Commission to research “important current issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” and recommends a variety of subjects for study, such as, but not limited to:
 

• The challenges to law enforcement associated with mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and other social factors that influence crime and strain criminal justice resources;
• The recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of law enforcement officers, including in rural and tribal communities;
  
• Refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes;
• The need to promote public confidence and respect for the law and law enforcement officers; and
• The effects of technological innovations on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, including the challenges and opportunities presented by such innovations

In forming the Commission, the Department of Justice has marshaled together the expertise and experiences of all sectors of the law enforcement community—urban police departments, county sheriffs, state attorneys general and prosecutors, elected officials, United States Attorneys, and federal law enforcement agencies.  They come from distinct states, cities, counties, and towns across the country but share a common mission of safeguarding their respective communities from a variety of threats.