The Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia endorsed former Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner Monday, citing his consistent efforts to support law enforcement and protect public safety during challenging fiscal times. The FOP's endorsement also noted his proven record in implementing solutions that improved public safety and homeland security.

This is the first time the Virginia FOP has endorsed a Democratic candidate for statewide office in a federal election since the organization began making endorsements in 1985. The national FOP is the world's largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 325,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges. The Virginia FOP represents nearly 9,000 active members in the local, state and federal public safety community.

"On behalf of my fellow law enforcement professionals, I am proud to announce the Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia's strong endorsement of Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate," says retired Chesterfield County Police Lt. Thomas E. Stiles, the state organization's immediate past president. "Gov. Warner worked with us in a responsible and honest way as he grappled with the revenue shortfalls that Virginia faced when he took office in 2002, and most of us in law enforcement were pleased to join Gov. Warner's 2004 bipartisan coalition to support budget and tax reform to give public safety professionals the resources we needed to effectively do our jobs.

"We are confident that Gov. Warner will demonstrate this same leadership and common sense approach to problem solving as he serves the people of Virginia in the U.S. Senate."

"Time and again, Mark Warner has proven his commitment to meeting the needs of law enforcement professionals," says Chesterfield County Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Carroll , who also serves as the Virginia FOP's legislative chair. "Gov. Warner is that rare public official who puts aside partisan politics and works across the aisle to get things done on behalf of the people of Virginia."

During his term as Virginia Governor between 2002 and 2006, Warner consistently prioritized scarce budget resources to meet the state's basic responsibility to ensure public safety:

- Warner's bipartisan 2004 budget and tax reform initiative allowed the Commonwealth to honor its unmet commitments to help fund salaries for local police departments and sheriff's deputies.

- Taking office in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including the attack at the Pentagon in Arlington, Warner appointed the nation's first Cabinet-level state official with responsibility for homeland security issues. He also convened a Secure Virginia panel that ultimately recommended more than 150 new state laws and policy changes to improve homeland security.

- Warner's strong support for law enforcement enabled the Virginia State Police to recruit and train 439 new state troopers during his four-year term, allowing the State Police to fully achieve its designated manpower goals for the first time in 30 years.

- Warner initiated a statewide AMBER Alert System to immediately alert Virginians about possible child abductions.

- Warner won legislative approval in 2003 for tougher anti-drunk driving laws after alcohol-related traffic deaths in Virginia began to increase following more than a decade of declines, leading the National Council Against Drunk Driving to honor Warner as the nation's "Unsung Hero" in the fight against drunk driving.

- Warner's 2005 Executive Order requiring that decongestants commonly misused for the manufacture of methamphetamines be placed behind the counter in drugstores is widely credited by law enforcement officials for the significant reduction in the number of methamphetamine labs operating in Virginia.

- Warner made significant investments in the Statewide Agencies Radio System, a digital communications system now shared by more than two-dozen state and local agencies that allows first responders to communicate effectively during an emergency.

"Everyday thousands of men and women in local, state and federal law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect our families, homes, and communities," says Warner. "I am honored to have the support of the Fraternal Order of Police and so many hardworking men and women in law enforcement."

In 2005, TIME Magazine named Warner one of "America's Five Best Governors." That same year, Governing magazine designated Virginia as the nation's "Best Managed State." And in 2006, after separate and independent reviews, the influential business magazine Forbes and the CNBC financial network both concluded that Virginia was the nation's "Best State for Business."