Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

brooklynite

(93,851 posts)
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 09:33 AM Apr 2015

Top US lawmakers to discuss police killings as reform momentum builds

Source: The Guardian

Top US lawmakers are to discuss ways of tackling the killing of black suspects by police amid signs that the hitherto muted political response to a spate of recent controversies is giving way to more concerted attempts at reform.

Prominent Republicans Rand Paul and Raúl Labrador will join leading African American Democrats such as Senator Cory Booker and Representative Elijah Cummings for a debate on criminal justice reform at Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, on Thursday.

Recent video of the shootings of Walter Scott in Charleston and Eric Harris in Tulsa, both of which have led to charges against officers involved, has helped galvanise momentum on Capitol Hill which has been slow to build since the disputed death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August.


Cummings told the Guardian he was convening the debate “because I believe we have a unique moment of bipartisan, nationwide support to reform our criminal justice system – a system that has led to the over-criminalization, imprisonment, and even deaths of Americans across the country, particularly in communities of color.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/16/congress-police-killings-debate-reform
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Top US lawmakers to discuss police killings as reform momentum builds (Original Post) brooklynite Apr 2015 OP
Slash their budgets by christx30 Apr 2015 #1
Take the military gear away from them... Johnyawl Apr 2015 #2
Make it against the law to use small offenses to finance a city. Starting with Ferguson MO get jwirr Apr 2015 #4
+1,000,000 Dont call me Shirley Apr 2015 #7
Interesting. Noticable that the two Rs are the lead part of the story. I will be looking for their jwirr Apr 2015 #3
Don't expect too much Lurks Often Apr 2015 #5
Make them grow their hair out... Dont call me Shirley Apr 2015 #6
has our media not picked this story up? samsingh Apr 2015 #8

Johnyawl

(3,205 posts)
2. Take the military gear away from them...
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 10:25 AM
Apr 2015

...get them out of military uniforms and looking like cops again, provide accountability with Civilian oversight boards (with no ex-cops on them), and then training, training, training. Oh, and better screening of applicants.

And those Police Departments in cities with corrupt racist governments will have to be overseen by the Justice Dept.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
4. Make it against the law to use small offenses to finance a city. Starting with Ferguson MO get
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 10:32 AM
Apr 2015

rid of those tickets from so called past crimes that do not include a serious crime. Just the number of tickets they are holding indicts the city.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
3. Interesting. Noticable that the two Rs are the lead part of the story. I will be looking for their
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 10:28 AM
Apr 2015

solutions.

 

Lurks Often

(5,455 posts)
5. Don't expect too much
Thu Apr 16, 2015, 10:33 AM
Apr 2015

This is primarily to make Congress look like they are "doing something"

The bulk of the shootings in question are taking place at the town or county level of law enforcement, over which the Federal government doesn't have much control or influence.

If people really want change, then the voters need to start making these shootings their primary reason to vote against someone, regardless of party. If mayors, district attorney's and sheriff's start getting voted out of office over these incidents, that's when you will start seeing changes made.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Top US lawmakers to discu...