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STATEMENT ON THE ORLANDO TERRORIST EVENT AND MASS SHOOTING

June 13, 2016

WASHINGTON – America’s law enforcement community, like our nation as a whole, is shocked and shares in the tremendous grief over the loss of 49 innocent lives and the wounding of 53 others in Orlando, Florida this weekend, making it the worst mass shooting recorded in United States history.

At this difficult time, our thoughts are with those whose lives were forever altered by this event, especially the families and friends of the 49 whose lives were taken, and all those who survived this senseless act. Tragically, they have been left to cope with the grief and devastation that none should have to bear.

This horrific and tragic terrorist attack reminds us that our nation has been deeply traumatized by the cruel and agonizing loss of life before and not nearly enough has been done to protect others from the dangers of firearms in the wrong hands and excessive firepower in our communities.

As we have previously stated, Americans should not have to fear being gunned down in social venues, university and elementary school classrooms, work places, movie theaters and other public places. This nation has no higher priority than the protection of its citizens from the rampant scourge of gun violence that affects all of our communities — large and small, urban, rural, and suburban. We have, unfortunately, turned our back on this priority for too long.

While we cannot bring back the 49 innocent lives lost in Orlando or the 26 children and educators lost at Sandy Hook, the thousands of other people who have lost their lives to gun violence in places like Chicago and elsewhere, we must do more to save others and prevent such needless suffering. We owe it to those we lost, to their survivors, the law enforcement officers who risk their lives to confront these criminals and return to these scenes to investigate the carnage, and all generations to come to take action. We repeat what we have said before and urge those with differing views to come together to confront this priority – “enough is enough.”

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA)
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
Police Foundation (PF)

http://www.lepartnership.org/  

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