Police Leaders for Community Safety Endorse Kamala Harris

Harris’ endorsement for the president is the first from Police Leaders for Community Safety, after Trump won an endorsement from the National Fraternal Order of Police earlier this month.

A group of national law enforcement leaders has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, weeks after the National Fraternal Order of Police endorsed former President Donald Trump.

The group Police Leaders for Community Safety was formed in 2024 as a nonpartisan 501(c)4 organization and describes itself as an organization representing dozens of police officers. In a press release Monday, chairwoman Sue Riseling expressed the organization’s support for Harris.

“This endorsement reflects Vice President Harris’ record and her unwavering commitment to public safety and the rule of law,” Riseling said. “As police leaders who have led law enforcement agencies and major national law enforcement leadership groups, we know firsthand what it will take to make our communities safer — and that includes having Kamala Harris as our next president.”

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First support for the group

Since the group has only been active since June, this is the first endorsement of the Police Leaders for Community Safety initiative, with the group voicing its support for Harris.

Who is part of the Police Leaders for Community Safety group?

Most of the group’s national advisory board and board of directors are former law enforcement officers, including its chairwoman, Sue Riseling, a former University of Wisconsin-Madison police chief.

The group’s leadership also includes David Mahoney, retired sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin, and former president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and Cynthia Herriott, former Rochester police chief.

Other legal groups support Trump

The endorsement comes as the National Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s oldest law enforcement lobby, has endorsed Trump in recent weeks. The organization has supported Trump in the last three presidential elections.

“Public safety and border security will be important issues in the final months of this campaign,” said Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police. “Our members carefully considered the candidates’ positions on these issues, and there was no doubt — no doubt — about who they want as our president for the next four years: Donald J. Trump.”

Another group, the International Union of Police Associations, also endorsed former President Trump in February. In a press release, the union cited Trump’s history of supporting law enforcement as a reason to support the Republican candidate.

“His policies and actions have been focused on improving the safety of our communities and the men and women who provide that shield. He has earned our full support,” the organization said.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.