Civil Rights Org Advancement Project National Office Responds to Biden’s Policing Order
NATIONAL – Today, on the two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police and the subsequent uprisings across the country calling for an overhaul of police and policing, President Biden signed an Executive Order that aims to cut down on police abuse and misconduct. In response, Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of the national civil rights group Advancement Project National Office, wrote this statement:
“On the anniversary of the day when George Floyd was killed by state-sanctioned police violence, we are glad to see President Biden creating an initiative that aims to curtail police abuse and misconduct. Though this order contains important steps towards police accountability, unfortunately it will not be a wholesale solution to keep communities of color safe from police violence.
“This order helps keeps police accountable for their actions by including restrictions on the transfer of military equipment to police departments, limits on some uses of lethal force (i.e. shooting at a moving car) and calling for a duty to intervene if an officer is using excessive force as well as imposing a duty to render medical aid.
“The Biden Administration’s support toward providing crisis response and mental health assistance is also critical. However, this must be detached from law enforcement and the criminal legal and carceral systems.
“But make no mistake, the gaps in the Executive Order are telling. This executive order still permits subjective standards for use of lethal force that will shield officers from real accountability. Simply put, this executive order would not have prevented George Floyd’s death.
“What we need is clear legislative action by Congress that would end qualified immunity, and restrict subjective standards that give officers cover for inhumane treatment. Throwing more money at police is not the solution; we must divest from police and policing and fully fund community based interventions.
“Ultimately, this executive order isn’t enough to confront the national crisis of violent policing. Without additional measures, it will fail to keep people, particularly Black, Latinx, AAPI, and Indigenous people, safe from the terror of police violence.”
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