Orlando, Fla. — Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the IACP conference in Orlando this weekend, along with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
Biden spoke of his personal connection to current IACP President Michael Carroll, according to the conference blog. Biden’s and Carroll’s high school football teams scrimmaged with one another back when they were young students, with the Vice President’s team coming out on the losing end.
He followed this story by turning his attention to the issues facing police departments nationwide. He focused specifically on cops’ increased role in fighting terrorism.
“Today, it’s the local cop who is going to discover the terrorist working out of a local home,” Biden told the crowd. “It’s the local cop who is going to be the first responder to a suspicious vehicle in Times Square. It won’t be a guy in fatigues and goggles; it’s going to be local cops, doing their rounds.”
Decreased funding and increased responsibility in fighting crime and terrorism were to the main issues discussed, according to the IACP blog.
