By Joanna Putman
Police1
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has signed four law enforcement-related bills into law with the goal of providing aid for the families of officers killed in the line of duty and give additional powers to the state board that controls training standards, WJTV reported.
One of the new measures allows the families of deceased first responders to receive the responder’s salary for up to 60 days, according to the report. Another bill increases the payout for individuals enrolled in the Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Death Benefits Trust Fund.
House Bill 691 will allow the State Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training to investigate instances of misconduct and revoke officer certificates, according to the report. The bill also mandates that the governor make six appointments to the board.
Reeves emphasized that the majority of officers appreciate the increased training opportunities, according to the report.
“We think that that certainly has a real opportunity to provide not only more training opportunities but also more accountability,” said Reeves. “Since I’ve been governor, the state has taken over the investigations of officer-involved shootings. Again, we want to make sure that that all parties understand that that there is an unbiased source doing those investigations.”