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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 9 June 2020
Democrats propose sweeping police overhaul; Trump opposes

Continued from Front Republican campaign offi-
cials followed Trump’s lead
Trump, who met with law in bashing the effort as ex-
enforcement officials at treme.
the White House, characte- “No industry is safe from
rized the Democrats as ha- the Democrats’ abolish cul-
ving “gone CRAZY!” ture,” said Micahel McA-
As activists call for restruc- dams, a spokesman for the
turing police departments House Republican cam-
and even to “ defund paign committee, in an
the police,” the president email blast. “First they wan-
tweeted, “LAW & ORDER, ted to abolish private he-
NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH alth insurance, then it was
THE POLICE.” capitalism and now it’s the
Democratic leaders pu- police.”
shed back, saying their Democrats fought back.
proposal would not elimi- “This isn’t about that,” Pelosi
nate police departments said. Congress is not calling
— a decision for cities and for any wholesale defun-
states — but establish new ding of law enforcement,
oversight. leaving those decisions to
Joe Biden, the presumed local cities and states, De-
Democratic presidential mocrats noted.
nominee, “does not be- Protesters gather outside of the Queens County Criminal Court Monday, June 8, 2020, in the It is unclear if law enforce-
lieve that police should be Queens borough of New York. ment and the powerful po-
defunded,” said spokes- Associated Press lice unions will back any of
man Andrew Bates. to more broadly enable Registry,” a database to ally as more and more po- the proposed changes or if
The Justice in Policing Act damage claims in lawsuits. try to prevent officers from lice violence is captured congressional Republicans
would limit legal protec- The legislation would seek transferring from one de- on cellphone video and will join the effort.
tions for police, create a to provide greater transpa- partment to another with shared widely across the Senate Majority Leader
national database of ex- rency of police behavior past misconduct undetec- nation and the world. Mitch McConnell, whose
cessive-force incidents and in several ways. For one, it ted, the draft says. “The world is witnessing the Louisville hometown fa-
ban police choke holds, would grant subpoena po- A long-sought federal anti- birth of a new movement ces unrest after the police
among other changes, the wer to the Justice Depart- lynching bill that has stal- in this country,” said Rep. shooting of Breonna Taylor
most ambitious law enfor- ment to conduct “pattern led in Congress is included Bass, chairwoman of the in her home, said he would
cement reforms sought by and practice” investigati- in the package. Congressional Black Cau- take a look at potential le-
Congress in years. ons of potential misconduct House Judiciary Commit- cus, which is leading the gislation.
The legislation would revise and help states conduct in- tee Chairman Jerrold Nad- House effort. She called Republicans are likely to
the federal criminal po- dependent investigations. ler, D-N.Y., a co-author with the proposal “bold” and stick with Trump, although
lice misconduct statute to It would ban racial profi- Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., “transformative.” McConnell was central to
make it easier to prosecute ling, boost requirements for and Democratic senators, While Democrats are ex- passage of a criminal jus-
officers who are involved in police body cameras and will convene a hearing on pected to swiftly approve tice sentencing overhaul
misconduct “knowingly or limit the transfer of military the legislation Wednesday. the legislation this month, it and some key GOP sena-
with reckless disregard.” equipment to local jurisdic- The legislation confronts does not go as far as some tors have similarly expres-
The package would also tions. several aspects of policing activists want. The outlook sed interest in changes
change “qualified immu- And it would create a “Na- that have come under for passage in the Republi- to policing practices and
nity” protections for police tional Police Misconduct strong criticism, especi- can-held Senate is slim. accountability.q

Report: NYC police misconduct often involves minority youths

By JIM MUSTIAN high-fiving, running, carry- ment, and commit to swift
Associated Press ing backpacks, and jay- discipline when officers
NEW YORK (AP) — The vast walking." The report, based engage in misconduct,"
majority of complaints on a review of more than Fred Davie, chair of the
about New York City po- 100 complaints, highlights Civilian Complaint Review
lice officers' mistreatment several instances of racial Board, said in a statement.
of youths stemmed from profiling and comes amid The watchdog agency
encounters with black mounting calls for police recommended New York
and Hispanic children, ac- reforms in the wake of the City police take steps to
cording to a new study by May 25 death of George prevent the "over-polic-
the city's police watchdog Floyd at the hands of ing" of minority youths and
agency. Minneapolis police. Thou- break out its use of force
Nearly two-thirds of youth sands of New Yorkers have data by age and race.
complaints to the Civilian taken to the streets to pro- The NYPD said even one In this Dec. 31, 2015, file photo, a New York City police officer
Complaint Review Board test Floyd's death and call case of police misconduct sits in a cruiser at a checkpoint surrounding Times Square
involved young boys of for greater accountability. is unacceptable. during New Year's Eve celebrations in New York.
color, the report says, in- "It's time for the NYPD to "After careful review, Associated Press
cluding some "stopped re-consider how officers we accept each of the dations — some of which ed and all of which will
for seemingly innocuous police our youth, address CCRB's thoughtful and are already in the pro- strengthen our new Youth
activities such as playing, disparities in law enforce- constructive recommen- cess of being implement- Strategy." q