SEAN P. DUFFY: Back Safe Transit, Back The Blue

The days of “defund police” are over. Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Transportation honors law enforcement as the unsung heroes who keep our nation safe and moving.

From roadways and transit networks to planes and ports, the Department of Transportation works with law enforcement in nearly everything we do. For decades, their dedication, service, and valor have made safe transportation a reality through the 21^st century. This Police Week, we pause to honor their sacrifices.

In recent years, however, our police have become targets of the left. Radical ideologies unleashed a dangerous new hostility towards the men and women preserving law and order. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, nearly 1,700 officers were killed from 2020 to 2024. That number represents a more than 50 percent increase from the five years prior.

Vehicles drive on the 110 Freeway towards the Los Angeles skyline at the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange during rush hour traffic in Los Angeles, California on July 16, 2021. – The Metro C Line will eventually merge with the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project as infrastructure modernization and transit construction projects continue at the airport ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to reduce carbon emissions, traffic, and their impact towards climate change. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

This assault on law enforcement is unacceptable. President Trump and I are committed to getting back to basics, and that means backing the blue. That means giving law enforcement the tools they need to carry out the government’s most fundamental mission. (RELATED: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Announces Plan To Address Air Traffic Control ‘Neglect’)

In April, President Trump signed a new executive order titled “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens.” This decree is designed to unleash the power of police to preserve public peace. Under Trump, law enforcement will be armed to exercise their authority, undermined by a small, anarchist minority.

At the Department of Transportation, this means working with law enforcement to get them the best information and training. We are expanding our contract with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to bring the Below 100 program to more agencies. This program gives officers critical training to protect themselves and others in the line of duty. There has not been a single year with fewer than 100 deaths in the field since 1943. Many of these tragedies are entirely preventable.

In the last five years, about half of law enforcement fatalities have been traffic-related. In response, we are promoting public awareness of “Move Over” laws nationwide. Moving over on the road is not just the right thing to do. It’s the law. Failure to comply can put officers at risk and will result in necessary consequences.

Protecting roads and highways, however, is only half the job. Our department works closely with law enforcement across all modes of travel. We have put cities on notice: local leaders will either support their law enforcement to clean up buses and subways or prepare to lose funding. Earlier this month, Los Angeles heeded the warning. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is now operating with a dedicated police chief for the first time. (RELATED: Sean Duffy Says Trump Admin Will Pull Funding From Cities With Unsafe Subways)

Americans deserve an efficient, affordable, and reliable transportation system. But above all, this network must be safe. The patriotic dedication and heroism of our law enforcement are what keep our planes flying and our ships sailing.

President Trump and I are determined to restore respect to law enforcement. Law and order are only maintained by the vigilance and fortitude that our police demonstrate every day. Their jobs are dangerous and unpredictable. Yet their strength, courage, and resilience are the defining characteristics of what make America great.

Sean P. Duffy is the United States secretary of transportation.