Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) and Dan Goldman (NY-10) reintroduced the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, legislation to amend the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to ensure the families of fallen officers receive the benefits they deserve. The PSOB program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who are killed or permanently and totally disabled due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. While the program has long supported the families of fallen officers, some have been unjustly denied benefits due to arbitrary retirement status restrictions.
Chief Herbert D. Proffitt dedicated his life to serving others, first as a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and then as a law enforcement officer for 55 years before retiring in 2009 as Chief of the Tompkinsville, Kentucky Police Department. On August 28, 2012, Chief Proffitt was tragically shot and killed in his driveway by an individual he had arrested a decade earlier. Although his murder was a direct retaliation for his service in uniform, his family was denied benefits under the PSOB program simply because he had retired.
“The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act corrects an injustice that has unfairly denied the families of officers like Chief Proffitt the support they deserve,” said Congressman Barr. “These brave men and women dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, and their families should not be penalized because they retired before making the ultimate sacrifice. This legislation ensures their service and sacrifice are honored, regardless of retirement status. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Chief Proffitt’s family in advancing this important bill.”
“We have an obligation to care for those who pay the ultimate price for serving in the line of duty, even after they have retired,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “I am proud to join Rep. Andy Barr in introducing this legislation that ensures that retired law enforcement officials who are harmed or killed in connection to their service receive the benefits they deserve.”
“Chief Proffitt was targeted and murdered by a man he sent to prison. It was an act of revenge, pure and simple. Chief Proffitt, who spent 55 years in law enforcement did his job and sent a dangerous criminal to prison. Any officer, regardless of duty, status who is deliberately targeted and murdered by someone because they did their duty should be entitled to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program, which provides a one-time benefit for the surviving family members of an officer who dies in the line of duty. Chief Proffitt was retired at the time he was murdered, but there is no doubt that his killing was because of his line of duty actions while on the job. We are grateful to Representative Barr for introducing this bill to ensure that officers who make the ultimate sacrifice are not forgotten.” - Patrick Yoes, National Fraternal Order of Police President
“I would like to thank Congressman Barr for introducing the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act. This is a bill that has been needed for many years. Chief Proffitt as you know was murdered by a person who had sent to prison many years before as an act of "Revenge '. Chief Proffitt's family was denied in line of duty death benefits due basically because he was a retired , not active Law Enforcement Office at the time of his murder. However, this crime was committed and resulted because of his line of duties actions. While this type of crime is not committed very often it is still directly connected to the officers’ actions prior to the offense. The Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police and our nearly 11,000 members ask for this Act to be passed by Congress. It will be of great relief to the families of these heroes and is well deserved for the ultimate sacrifice these brave men and women of Law Enforcement have made defending our citizens and our great nation.” -Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police President
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