5/15/17
By: Todd Cox
Source: The Hill
Related Case or Issue: Policing Reform Campaign
This week, law enforcement throughout the country will observe National Police Week to honor fellow officers who have died in the line of duty.
One officer that will be honored is Montrell Jackson, the Baton Rouge police officer who was killed less than a week after the police-involved shooting of Alton Sterling. Days before his untimely death, Officer Jackson described on Facebook his unique struggles as a black police officer. He recounted the nasty looks he received: from communities that did not trust him when he was in uniform, and from other officers that considered him a threat when he was in plainclothes. His experience dramatizes the need for a Police Week that focuses not only on the officers who have been lost, but also on the changes that will improve community-police trust, as well as officer and public safety.
Unfortunately, Congress has chosen to spend this week considering redundant legislation that will only widen the gap between communities and law enforcement, without any added security benefit. These bills, the Thin Blue Line Act and the Probation Officer Protection Act of 2017, which are scheduled for a vote in the House this week, prioritize divisive political pandering over meaningful reform.
Read the full article here.
Read LDF’s letter of opposition to the Thin Blue Line Act here.
