Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Remarks Prepared for Delivery By
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
National Asian Peace Officers Association Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Thank you, Deputy Ogawa [Rolland Ogawa, Ventura County, CA Sheriff's Department].

It's a pleasure to be here at this conference and to see so many Asian Pacific American police officers from different agencies and all levels of government.

Before I begin, I want to commend NAPOA's decision to hold its

annual training conference in New Orleans. That decision is an expression of confidence in this city, and demonstrates support for its recovery.

This afternoon I will be visiting the New Orleans Job Corps Center to welcome back faculty and students. This follows repairs to extensive damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The center is one of 122 similar facilities nationwide that provide 62,000 at-risk youth with comprehensive training and education services so they can access opportunity and build better lives.

By February 2008, the New Orleans center will be able to train up to 224 youths for careers in high growth sectors of the economy such as carpentry and healthcare occupations. It's just one of the many ways in which the Department of Labor is supporting the recovery and rebuilding of this great city.

This morning I'd like to share some thoughts on the important work police officers do as front line defenders of freedom and security, and how Department of Labor initiatives are supporting law enforcement.

As Secretary of Labor, I spend a great deal of time talking about our dynamic workforce. Law enforcement, like many other occupations, has become a highly skilled occupation that requires post-secondary education or training.

This follows the trend toward higher skills that is occurring as our country transitions to a knowledge-based economy.

One example is the expanded use of geospatial technology in law enforcement. This technology is used to map and track locations, which can be helpful for everything from dispatching law enforcement assets to recovering stolen items tracked by GPS.

In fact, I've been told that this week's conference has workshops on how GPS is used to fight auto theft and computer theft. Just decades ago the use of such tools was unheard of. Yet today, knowledge of GPS equipment is a valuable tool for your members.

During this conference, NAPOA members are accessing the training and skills that will help them better protect the homeland and our communities, and build bridges of understanding between their community and mainstream America.

By training and re-training, you are setting a wonderful example of the need for lifelong learning to keep up with the demands of an ever-changing workplace.

But aside from being highly skilled, NAPOA members and police officers everywhere are also looked to as compassionate and fair enforcers of the law. Your work has a lasting impact on those around you, especially youth.

So let me commend your organization for sponsoring workshops to combat the scourge of gang violence affecting many communities.

The Department of Labor shares your commitment to ending gang violence by offering young people hope. And we have introduced a bold strategy to address the broader issues of troubled youth. These are youth who have become involved with the criminal justice system, have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out.

We recognize that without extra help, many of these young men and women will continue on a path that is destructive to them and others. But with an investment of resources and compassion, they will have a chance to access opportunity, which is so abundant in our country.

The Department's strategy is part of a federal partnership established in response to the 2003 report of the White House Taskforce on Disadvantaged Youth. One of the goals is to better coordinate Federal programs serving at risk youth.

Over the past three years, partners in this initiative, including the Departments of Labor and Justice, have worked with states to support teams to meet the needs of the nation's most vulnerable youth.

To strengthen its role in this partnership, the Department recently awarded six sets of youth grants totaling $41 million to invest in the education and skills of troubled youth nationwide.

These grants respond to the 30 percent of high school students who are dropping out. They are aimed at providing these young people with alternative educational opportunities and improved employment pathways. Partners in this initiative include cities, faith-based and community organizations, and school districts. Many of these investments are designed to prepare young people who have been in involved in the juvenile justice system — including gang members — for careers in high growth industries.

Here in New Orleans, the Department announced a $15 million grant to provide youth with valuable skills training, educational opportunities, and job experience while participating in their communities' efforts to recover and rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

The Louisiana Department of Labor's Office of Workforce Development is a partner in this initiative. It will provide approximately 1,200 employment and educational opportunities to youth with little or no employment or educational success in the most heavily impacted parishes. Programs under these partnerships will prepare at-risk youth to succeed in the workplace, and help them embark on a positive path.

I've been told that many NAPOA members are interested in advancing to leadership positions within law enforcement. Please know that I support your aspiration.

While I don't come from a law enforcement background, I've researched the topic by talking with the most respected and accomplished law enforcement officials in Washington.

And I interact every day with highly experienced, skilled law enforcement officers working for the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor and other Government agencies. Their dedication to serving our country is an inspiration.

As police officers you have already demonstrated the courage and commitment that are cornerstones of advancement.

As we know, police officers seeking advancement also undergo many kinds of tests based on merit and aptitude. I've been told that law enforcement supervisors have a strong knowledge of the law, so individual study is important.

In many agencies, there are quarterly and annual tests in subjects ranging from firearms, to CPR, to familiarity with chemical and biological weapons. So, as in every profession, it is important to continually upgrade one's knowledge and skills in order to advance.

Then, there are personal qualities to develop: for example, being flexible and able to think on your feet. This means putting technical knowledge into layman's terms, and being able to consider the human factor. Good people skills are important at every level of a law enforcement career. They are essential for investigative work and for diffusing potentially dangerous situations.

Good writing skills also are critical to advancing from the journeyman level of law enforcement to senior management positions. Senior level management positions in law enforcement are highly competitive. And one of the tools that managers may use to select from a group of equally qualified candidates, is how well a candidate expresses him or herself in writing.

That's especially true if the members of a review panel scoring candidates for a supervisory position don't know the candidate personally. Though it is most critical when advancing to supervisory positions, good writing is a skill that supervisors place great value on at every stage of your careers.

A familiarity with other cultures is also in demand in our increasingly diverse country. Bicultural officers can be especially helpful in building bridges of understanding between immigrant communities and American institutions, such as the courts and law enforcement. This skill is invaluable in maintaining civil society.

An officer who finds the right balance will always be a valued officer, an effective manager in his or her organization, and an inspiring recruiter in the community. So for qualified officers who are bicultural, there is a trend in your favor.

As you know, the Department of Labor is committed to helping the Asian American community — and other traditionally underserved communities — access opportunity in mainstream America.

For the first time, in 2003, the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics began to track the employment patterns of Asian Pacific Americans in separate categories. That's how we now know that the unemployment rate for Asian Pacific Americans was a low 3 percent in July.

This Administration has also made a special effort to target enforcement of our nation's wage and hour laws on industries that employ large numbers of vulnerable, immigrant workers.

In 2006, the Department recovered nearly $172 million for over 246,000 employees who did not receive the wages they were due, many of whom were vulnerable immigrants.

The Department has also posted record results in enforcing equal opportunity rights for employees of federal contractors — with an increase in financial recoveries of nearly 80 percent since 2001.

Also, because the labor laws of our country are complex and often difficult to understand, the Department has translated labor law materials into multiple languages, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.

The Department also hosts annual events to help Asian Pacific Americans and members of other underserved communities access opportunity. The Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit helps participants access the training and leadership skills to advance within the Federal government. And the Opportunity Conference gives participants practical advice on how they can access opportunities to do business with the Federal government. You can learn more about these events by visiting www.opportunityconference.gov and www.apasummit.gov.

The Department also started a summer internship program that many Asian American young people have attended.

These are just a few examples of the programs the Department has launched to help the Asian Pacific American community — and other traditionally underserved communities — access greater opportunities in mainstream America.

As Secretary of Labor, helping the Asian Pacific American community and all underserved communities advance within mainstream America is one of my highest priorities.

America today can benefit from our strong family values and our emphasis on quality education. We have much to contribute to this great country. That is why it is gratifying to know that many Asian Pacific Americans have chosen careers in the law enforcement profession.

America's democratic institutions, respect for the rule of law, transparency and accountability are among its key strengths. Together with a dynamic and flexible workforce and economy, these characteristics help make America a beacon of hope and opportunity in the world.

Police officers know firsthand how important security and stability are. You make a vital contribution to America's strengths by preserving and building on them every day. So, on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you very much for your sacrifice, professionalism and heroism. Working together, we can ensure that America continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity throughout the world.

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