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Washington, D.C.—The president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today declared a matter of “common sense and simple justice” passage of legislation that would extend law enforcement officer status to thousands of federal employees whose principal duties involve law enforcement, including more than 13,000 Customs Service and Internal Revenue Service employees represented by NTEU.

Colleen M. Kelley, leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers, told a Capitol Hill press conference that passage of legislation offered by Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) is crucial not just to the safety of these officers, “but for the sake of the public they serve.”

Under the Filner bill, which is being introduced during National Police Week, Customs Inspectors and Canine Enforcement Officers, as well as IRS Revenue Officers and some other federal officers, would be granted law enforcement officer status —a designation widespread among members of the federal law enforcement community—and would be eligible for 20-year retirement.

NTEU has long supported such legislation, emphasizing the dangers faced both by Customs employees in the front-line battles against drugs and terrorism and by IRS employees routinely subject to assaults and more by tax protestors and others unwilling to meet their tax obligations.

“Every day, the men and women who hold these jobs face enormous physical challenges and constant emotional stress,” Kelley said. “Enforcing the laws they have sworn to uphold regularly exposes them to the threat of injury or even death.”

Among those represented by NTEU who would be affected by this bill, Kelley said, are some 5,400 IRS Revenue Officers, more than 7,300 Customs Inspectors and some 620 Customs Canine Enforcement Officers.

She called passage of the Filner bill “wise public policy,” made even more important by the competitive job market in which public service is increasingly losing the battle with the private sector for the most qualified employees.

In his remarks, Rep. Filner noted that in agencies where law enforcement officers do not have LEO status, there is a consistent loss of trained, seasoned professionals to other law enforcement agencies, both in government and the private sector.

In addition to Rep. Filner, Kelley was joined at the press conference by representatives of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).