Kennedy, Booker reintroduce bipartisan bill to give law enforcement more tools to solve crimes

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), in introducing the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act to establish a grant program at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.

"When our heroes in blue do not have the resources to solve violent crimes, families and communities pay the price. In Louisiana and across America, too many police departments are being asked to fight today's violent criminals with yesterday's tools. The VICTIM Act would give law enforcement the key financial and technical support they need to put violent criminals behind bars and deliver justice for victims," said Kennedy.

"Solving violent crime is the most powerful deterrent we have, and it starts with giving law enforcement what they actually need: detectives, forensic technology, and investigative training. When murders go unsolved, it denies victims and their communities justice, signals that authorities don't care about public safety, and leaves perpetrators without consequences. With nearly half of homicide cases remaining unsolved, we cannot afford to keep shortchanging law enforcement. I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation, which dedicates critical resources to improve clearance rates so that law enforcement can solve these cases and every family gets the accountability they deserve," said Booker.

Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The VICTIM Act will provide law enforcement with the funding, training, and technology needed to solve more homicide and non-fatal shooting cases. By helping agencies investigate these serious crimes more effectively, this legislation will deliver justice for victims' families, support the officers working these cases, and strengthen public safety across Nebraska," said Bacon.

"I appreciate the partnership of Congressman Bacon and Senators Kennedy and Booker in continuing to work together on this important bill. Prosecutors can't bring cases that don't reach them, so this would help make our neighborhoods and communities safer. And as someone who has pushed for help for victims of gun violence, I'm very pleased that this bill would help to provide victims and family members with emergency food, housing, clothing, travel, and transportation," said Evans.

The Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police (LACP), Louisiana Sheriffs' Association (LSA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), the Niskanen Center, and the R Street Institute all support the bill.

"The Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police (LACP) proudly supports the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act of 2026 introduced by Senators John Kennedy and Cory Booker. Violent crime leaves lasting impacts not only on victims and their families, but on entire communities. Far too many homicide and firearm-related violent crime cases remain unresolved, leaving families without answers and hindering the pursuit of justice. This bipartisan legislation recognizes the critical need to ensure law enforcement agencies have the resources, personnel, training, and technology necessary to improve investigative outcomes, strengthen public safety, and better support victims and their families throughout the investigative process. The Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police appreciates efforts to provide state and local law enforcement agencies with meaningful tools and resources that will assist in reducing violent crime, improving clearance rates, and helping make communities safer throughout Louisiana and across the nation," said Fabian Blache, LACP Executive Director.

"On behalf of Louisiana's 64 sheriffs and the over 14,000 deputies they serve, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association is proud to support the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act of 2026 (VICTIM Act). This bipartisan bill will provide our sheriffs with additional resources to investigate and close violent crime cases. Our detectives across the state see the toll homicides and firearm-related crimes take on victims, their families, and the communities they serve. They want nothing more than to solve these violent crimes as swiftly as possible. The VICTIM Act will go a long way in helping our detectives do just that by arming them with the financial and technical support they need to take violent criminals off our streets while bringing closure to the victims. We thank Senators Kennedy and Booker for their leadership on the VICTIM Act and look forward to seeing this legislation enacted," said Sheriff Kevin Cobb (Ret.), LSA Executive Director.

"Homicide cases can be very difficult to clear-and violent firearms-related cases can be even more so. Closing these types of crimes requires diligence, manpower, and a sustained investigative effort. Given the limited resources of law enforcement agencies, it's important to provide the significant, dedicated resources that clearing these crimes requires, especially given their oftentimes heinous nature. The resources the VICTIM Act would provide would improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to punish the perpetrators of these crimes, provide justice for the victims and their families, and grant peace of mind for communities and the dedicated law enforcement officers that serve them. When we can clear more crimes like these, our communities are safer places to live and work," said Patrick Yoes, FOP President.

"The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) is proud to support the VICTIM Act and thanks Senators Kennedy and Booker for their continued leadership on this important bipartisan legislation. The VICTIM Act would provide law enforcement agencies with critical resources to strengthen violent crime investigations, support victims and their families, and improve public safety outcomes in communities across the country. Specifically, the legislation would help agencies hire and train investigative personnel, expand access to forensic and investigative technologies, and enhance the tools needed to identify offenders, solve cases, and prevent future violence. MCSA stands ready to support efforts to advance this important legislation and ensure law enforcement agencies have the resources necessary to protect the communities they serve," said Megan Noland, MCSA Executive Director.

"Building capacity across state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate violent crime is an important priority. The Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA) appreciates Senators Kennedy and Booker for their leadership on the VICTIM Act, which would provide new resources to help agencies strengthen their abilities to efficiently, fairly, and accurately analyze forensic evidence, investigate, and solve violent crimes," said Drew Evans, ASCIA President.

"The National District Attorneys Association supports the VICTIM Act as a critical step to help solve more violent crimes, improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm offenses, and ensure victims and their families receive the justice and support they deserve," said Nelson Bunn, NDAA Executive Director.

"The VICTIM Act sends a clear message that violence will not be tolerated and criminals will not be allowed to terrorize American neighborhoods without consequence. By giving law enforcement the tools needed to solve more violent crimes, this legislation will help restore order, protect families, and bring offenders to justice. We thank Senator Kennedy for his continued leadership on this issue," said Greg Newburn, Director of Criminal Justice at the Niskanen Center.

"The R Street Institute strongly supports the VICTIM Act of 2026. Decades of research confirm that the certainty of apprehension is the most powerful deterrent to crime, yet clearance rates for serious offenses remain alarmingly low. This critical legislation would provide targeted grants to improve clearance rates by supporting detective recruitment and retention, forensic and digital evidence capacity, and sophisticated analytic methods like Gun Violence Problem Analysis. Furthermore, it funds trauma-informed investigator training and direct services for victims and surviving family members. We applaud Senators John Kennedy (R-LA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) for their bipartisan leadership and urge their colleagues to join this essential effort," said Jillian Snider, Resident Senior Fellow at the R Street Institute, and a retired NYPD officer.

Background:

The VICTIM Act would help law enforcement:

• Train detectives and police personnel to investigate, solve, and respond to homicides and non-fatal shootings.

• Hire additional detectives and investigative personnel.

• Invest in the technology needed to solve crimes.

• Train police personnel to address the needs of victims and family members of homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.

• Provide victims and family members with mental health resources and temporary assistance.

The bill would also require recipients of VICTIM Act grants to report how they use the funds to the DOJ. DOJ would collect and provide that information to Congress.

The full text of the VICTIM Act is available here.