Andy Barr U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 6th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Andy Barr U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 6th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
This week, Congressmen Andy Barr from Kentucky and Dan Goldman from New York reintroduced the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act. This legislative proposal seeks to amend the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program, aiming to ensure that families of fallen law enforcement officers receive due benefits regardless of retirement status.
The PSOB program offers cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who are killed or become permanently disabled due to injuries sustained while on duty. Historically, some families have been denied these benefits because of retirement status restrictions.
Chief Herbert D. Proffitt was a U.S. Army veteran and served as a law enforcement officer for 55 years before retiring in 2009 as Chief of the Tompkinsville, Kentucky Police Department. He was tragically killed in his driveway on August 28, 2012, by an individual he had previously arrested. Despite the nature of his murder being directly related to his service in uniform, his family was denied PSOB benefits because he had retired.
Congressman Barr stated, “The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act corrects an injustice that has unfairly denied the families of officers like Chief Proffitt the support they deserve.” He emphasized that families should not be penalized due to retirement when their loved ones have made significant sacrifices.
Congressman Goldman added, “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.”
Patrick Yoes from the National Fraternal Order of Police remarked on Chief Proffitt's murder as an act of revenge linked directly to his service actions. He highlighted the need for such legislation so that similar cases receive appropriate recognition and support.
Sheriff Berl Perdue Jr., representing nearly 11,000 members from the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, also expressed gratitude towards Congressman Barr for introducing this bill. He noted that while crimes like these are rare, they are closely connected to officers' past duties and stressed the importance of passing this act for affected families.
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