On January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and a new administration will assume the operation of the federal government. With the new administration, there will likely be significant changes directly impacting the lives and jobs of federal employees.

Across the board, federal law enforcement officers have spent the vast majority of 2020 dealing with unprecedented challenges. Rising tensions between the public and law enforcement and the increasing dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a landscape that has been tremendously difficult to navigate. While many of the struggles and successes of our law enforcement officers have been well-covered in the news, the challenges faced by two agencies have been comparatively underreported: the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.

For federal law enforcement officers, carrying and using a firearm is often the most significant part of the job. With the authority to carry a firearm comes the heavy responsibility of using it properly, as well as significantly increased exposure to civil, administrative, and criminal actions related to discharge of the weapon. For members of agencies or divisions such as the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), it is critical to carry professional liability insurance (PLI) that will protect against the exposures that come with carrying a firearm.

No federal law enforcement officer goes to work expecting to get sued or anticipates spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend their career. However, today’s current political climate means federal LEOS are increasingly vulnerable to civil lawsuits and administrative actions. If an allegation is made against you, are you aware of your rights as a federal LEO? Are you prepared to vigorously defend yourself even if the allegation is baseless? Do you have professional liability insurance in place to help you in these trying matters? In the spirit of the fall season, FEDS Protection has put together a list of Trick or Treat facts that will help you learn more about your liability exposures and how best to protect yourself with FEDS PLI.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, federal law enforcement officers have been faithfully serving the public throughout. As FEDS Protection has detailed previously, COVID-19 has increased pressures and expanded the already long list of challenges that federal law enforcement officers face on a daily basis.

As the United States enters its fifth month of COVID-19-related shutdown in some form, the long-term behavioral impacts of the ‘new normal’ are beginning to appear. Recent studies and official guidance indicate that Americans are experiencing elevated levels of unhappiness and anxiety due to the ongoing pandemic.

Over the years, federal law enforcement agencies have been able to magnify their reach and effectiveness through the setting up of federal task forces, made up of both federal and state & local law enforcement officers. These task forces (led by officers from agencies such as the U.S. Marshals, FBI, and DEA) are assigned to address specific issues such as sex trafficking, drug trafficking, tracking fugitives, and counterterrorism efforts. While the task forces are largely spearheaded and funded by federal agencies, oftentimes a majority of the manpower is provided by state & local law enforcement.

On June 11th, FEDS President Tony Vergnetti and Director of Strategy and Development Brenda Wilson presented an instructive and timely webinar on “Law Enforcement Liabilities,” aiming to further inform federal law enforcement officers about how the FEDS federal employee professional liability insurance policy can help protect against the exposures and liabilities inherent in a federal law enforcement position.