U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, has been joined by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, in introducing the bipartisan Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, which would ensure the families of retired law enforcement officers who were killed because of their service are not unjustly denied benefits.
Former Tompkinsville Police Chief Herbert D. Proffitt was murdered in 2012 by someone he had arrested a decade before he retired. Because he was retired at the time of the murder, the family was denied benefits.
Sen. Mitch McConnell has introduced a measure to change that law.
The bill is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Korean War veteran and law enforcement officer of 55 years who retired in 2009 as chief of the Tompkinsville Police Department. On Aug. 28, 2012, Chief Proffitt was tragically shot and killed in his driveway by an individual he had arrested a decade earlier. Although his murder was a direct retaliation for his service in uniform, his family was denied benefits under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program simply because he had already retired.
The measure would amend the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program eligibility criteria for retired law enforcement officers who have died or become permanently disabled due to a targeted attack directly resulting from their service and retroactively apply the updated eligibility for claims starting on Jan. 1, 2012.
“The loss of Chief Herbert D. Proffitt is a tragic reminder of the risk that follows our finest every day of their lives. This legislation plugs an important hole, ensuring the Proffitt family – and others like them – are supported and assured that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones are never forgotten,” McConnell said.
Kerry L. Denton, the current Chief of Police in the City of Tompkinsville, stated, “The Tompkinsville Police Department is grateful to Senator McConnell for his work to support and honor our law enforcement families. Thirteen years later, we still mourn the loss of Chief Herbert ‘Sprocket’ Proffitt, a devoted father and leader in Tompkinsville who dedicated his life to keeping our community safe. We are proud to see his legacy honored today with this important legislation.”
The legislation is endorsed by the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police, the Kentucky Narcotic Officers Association, the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association, and the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police. A companion measure was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Andy Barr, R-Lexington, and New York Democrat Dan Goldman.
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
