Press Release: APA Issues Preliminary Report on New Recommendations for State and Local Prosecutors to Address Violence Against Elected Officials, Public Servants, and Government Institutions

Press Contact:
David LaBahn
david.labahn@apainc.org
202-570-0763

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release: APA Issues Preliminary Report on New Recommendations for State and Local Prosecutors
to Address Violence Against Elected Officials, Public Servants, and Government Institutions

The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), in partnership with the Joyce Foundation announced today the release of the preliminary report of Prosecutors and Politics: Collaborative Strategies and Model Policies for Addressing Threats and Acts of Political Violence. This preliminary report lays out the initial recommendations of a bipartisan convening that took place Detroit, Michigan and gathered prosecutors from the Great Lakes region, federal partners, law enforcement, and national experts in political violence.

The preliminary report enumerates a set of recommendations and model strategies for state and local prosecutors to address the drastic rise in threats and acts of political violence across the United States. These recommendations reflect the numerous challenges facing prosecutors, election officials, and public servants nationwide to both protect themselves and their families as well as maintain the integrity of democratic processes. “The rise in threats and acts of violence aimed at elected officials and government institutions has reached alarming levels,” commented APA President and CEO Dave LaBahn, “Engagement in the political process, from voting to holding public office, forms the very fabric of our society. Violent extremism chills such participation and threatens to de-legitimize government institutions seeking to fulfill their lawful duties. Through collaboration with criminal justice stakeholders and authentic community engagement, state and local prosecutors can build trust with their communities, hold violent actors accountable and expose the violent ideologies that continue to divide our nation.”

This document seeks to aid prosecutors in shaping policies and practices that hold violent actors accountable and protecting those tasked with maintaining the integrity of our election processes, thereby enhancing trust and legitimacy to the process and those sworn to protect it. In addition to protecting our election processes, this document highlights ways for government institutions to work together to better track and prevent acts of political violence. This resource will ultimately include multiple case examples and approaches employed throughout the nation that support these recommendations and provide practical application of the policies in action.

Through these recommendations, APA and the Joyce Foundation hope to provide insight into the various methods of addressing political violence and the protection of elected officials and other public servants through monitoring, collaboration, and training. Working together to implement these recommendations is crucial in addressing the threat of political violence and election interference.