Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 6-19-20

Political News
Trump Signs Order On Police Reform
PRES. DONALD TRUMP
WASHINGTON — Follow- ing weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on policing Tuesday that he said would encourage bet- ter police practices and estab- lish a database to keep track of officers with a history of ex- cessive use-of-force com- plaints.
In Rose Garden remarks, Trump stressed the need for higher standards and commis- erated with mourning fami- lies, even as he hailed the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants and held his law-and-order line, while crit- icizing Democrats.
“Reducing crime and rais- ing standards are not opposite goals,” he said before signing the order flanked by police.
Trump, who has faced criticism for failing to ac- knowledge systemic racial bias, has continued to empha- size his support for law en- forcement, even after meeting in private Tuesday with fami- lies of victims. At the signing event, he railed against those who committed violence dur- ing the largely peaceful protests and made no mention of racism.
Trump’s executive order would establish a database that tracks police officers with excessive use of force com- plaints in their records. And it would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage co-responder programs, in which social workers join po- lice when they respond to non- violent calls involving mental health, addiction and home- less issues.
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