U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, law enforcement officials discuss topics during roundtable
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DEVILS LAKE – A roundtable at the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center (LRLEC) was the perfect opportunity for law enforcement officers and officials to discuss various topics with U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong Wednesday morning.
Armstrong was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing North Dakota in 2018.
The Aug. 3 roundtable allowed law enforcement officials – including the Ramsey County Sheriff Department and Devils Lake Police Department – to voice their opinions to the congressman. Topics included retention and recruitment of law enforcement officers and mental health among adults and juveniles.
“We have to figure out as communities, we have to figure out at the state [and] we have to figure out at the national level,” Armstrong said after the meeting. “Three things you absolutely have to have from a human resources standpoint for a community to maintain and grow is good teachers, good [police officers] and good healthcare. And for various, different reasons, we are starting to see real issues in recruiting in all three of those fields.”
The group also discussed the implementation of technology and its use both in the present and future.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a DUI and monitoring alcohol, or if it’s the ability to use telehealth in a rural healthcare facility, addiction counseling [or] mental health stuff,” Armstrong said. “I think we are going to have opportunities to make things happen differently than they did before, and I think they are going to be necessary.”
Given his history as a defense attorney, Armstrong saw the roundtable as another opportunity to connect with those working in law enforcement.
More importantly, Armstrong saw it as an opportunity to understand issues and find potential solutions to them in the future.
“You heard it, and you can hear it around the roundtable,” Armstrong said. “Mental health services, law enforcement [and] all of those different issues. So, it’s always good to hear from them what they’re actually experiencing in the community.”
John Crane is a sports/general assignment reporter for the Devils Lake Journal. Feel free to contact John via work phone (701-922-1372), cell phone (701-230-4339), email (jcrane@gannett.com) or Twitter (@johncranesports) with any story ideas.
This article originally appeared on Devils Lake Journal: U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, LRLEC discuss topics during roundtable
