Proclamation 6523

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

The effectiveness of any Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency depends on knowledgeable, well-trained, and highly qualified personnel. Building such a force requires rigorous education and training, not only before an officer earns the badge, but also throughout his or her career.

Whether intervening in a violent domestic dispute, apprehending a suspected drug dealer, or assisting at the site of a traffic accident, law enforcement officers are often required to make split-second decisions that could mean the difference between life and death. Therefore, in addition to knowledge of criminal statutes and fundamental rules of procedure, law enforcement training encompasses basic skills on which an officer's survival and other human lives depend. From physical conditioning and self-defense techniques to the safe use of firearms, such training ensures that an officer is prepared to maintain law and order while, at the same time, protecting the rights and safety of individual citizens.

As law enforcement agencies employ increasingly sophisticated technology and techniques in the fight against crime, the need for highly specialized education and training continues to increase as well. Today an officer's training in traditional investigative methods may also include more advanced studies in ballistics, toxicology, computer science, psychology, and other complex fields. For the veteran as well as the rookie, for the administrator behind the desk as well as the officer on the beat—continuing education and training are essential to meeting new challenges in police work.

All Americans benefit from programs that contribute to the knowledge, professionalism, and skill of our Nation's law enforcement officers, and this week we gratefully salute the dedicated individuals whose instruction and guidance assist officers in the performance of their duties. We also recognize the many rewarding career opportunities that are available to young people in law enforcement and related occupations, and encourage parents and teachers to make the observance of this week a rewarding learning opportunity for children—one that instills in them a healthy respect for the law and for the courageous men and women who are pledged to defend it.

In order to heighten public awareness of the importance of law enforcement training and its related fields, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 304, has designated the week of January 3 through January 9, 1993, as "National Law Enforcement Training Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning January 3, 1993, as National Law Enforcement Training Week. I invite all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth.

George Bush