TO KICK OFF POLICE WEEK, CONGRESSMAN RYAN HONORS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON HOUSE FLOOR
To Kick Off Police Week, Congressman Pat Ryan Honors Local Law Enforcement Officers on House Floor
Ryan, lead sponsor of the Public Safety and Community Support Act, honored newly-named Newburgh Police Chief Brandon Rola and celebrated the retirement of Poughkeepsie Police Captain Steven Minard with speeches on House floor
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan kicked off National Police Week by honoring the extraordinary service of two local law enforcement officers with speeches on the House floor. Ryan congratulated Newburgh Police Department’s Chief Brandon Rola on being named the city’s new Police Chief and recognized retiring City of Poughkeepsie Police Captain Steven Minard for a career of going above and beyond in service to his community. The speech congratulating Chief Brandon Rola is linked here; the speech recognizing Captain Minard is linked here.
“Chief Rola and Captain Minard are public servants in the truest sense of the word – they’ve dedicated their lives to making the Hudson Valley a safer place for all of our families. During Police Week and every week, we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never truly be repaid,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It was a privilege to honor them for their selflessness, bravery, and decades of sacrifice on behalf of our Hudson Valley communities. I’ll keep fighting every day to deliver the support our local law enforcement officers need to keep our families safe.”
Chief Brandon Rola was named Police Chief of the Newburgh Police Department on May 3, 2024. He is a 16-year veteran of the Newburgh Police Department and has earned over 30 merit awards. In 2014, Rola garnered national praise for rescuing two boys who were buried in an 8 foot tall snow bank on Thanksgiving night.
Captain Steven Minard served on the Poughkeepsie Police Department for 40 years. During this time, he earned his Ph.D. in order to instruct criminal justice courses at local colleges and develop police trainings with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Executive Institute. His trainings are now implemented at police academies across New York state. Congressman Ryan attended Captain Minard’s retirement celebration on Friday, May 10.
Congressman Ryan is a firm supporter of local law enforcement and first responders. He has delivered landmark federal funding to local departments, including $400,000 for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office crisis intervention team ORACLE to help combat the opioid crisis, $375,000 for the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department to start a new Community Policing Unit and hire three new officers, and $300,000 for the Middletown Police Department to bolster its technology investments.
Only weeks after taking office in 2022, Ryan voted for the Invest to Protect Act and joined with local law enforcement leaders to announce over $2.6 million in federal funding was secured for local law enforcement departments and public safety initiatives through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.
Congressman Ryan introduced the Public Safety and Community Support Act to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funds for deflection and pre-arrest diversion programs to help local law enforcement combat drug addiction. Congressman Ryan cosponsors extensive legislation supporting local law enforcement, including the Invest to Protect Act of 2023, Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act, Public Safety Officer Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Health Act of 2023, Expanding Health Care Options for First Responders Act, 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2023, National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act, and Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023.
Congressman Ryan has long advocated for increased funding for law enforcement and first responders, including making repeated calls for increased funding to combat fentanyl trafficking and introducing an amendment to the House’s Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase the funding for the COPS grant programs by $5 million. The additional funding would help allow the COPS Office to increase its grant programs that support local law enforcement and community safety initiatives across the country.
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