US President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday meant to address police brutality in the US.
Since the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police, protests have spread across the country. As a part of the movement, the public has demanded reform of the country’s police forces and, in some cases, its complete reconstruction.
In response, Trump has signed an executive order to address police brutality and law enforcement reform. The executive order aims to incentivize local law enforcement to follow the stipulations outlined in the order through funding that would be granted through the Attorney General. Some of the highlights from the executive order include:
- Prohibiting the use of choke-holds
- Developing a cost-effective, targeted, credentialing process for appropriate use-of-force policies
- Publishing a database that would track instances of over-excessive force by the police
- Implementing co-responder programs, which would allow social workers and other mental health professionals to assist law enforcement in complex encounters involving mental health issues, addiction, and homelessness
Although the order goes on to address some concerns with law enforcement, the demands of protestors have been far from met. Activists have regarded this executive order as a failure to address racism exhibited and reinforced by law enforcement. The Brennan Center for Justice, an advocacy group that has fought for police reform, stated that the order has made “only cosmetic changes when the nation is ready for law enforcement’s racism to be pulled out by its roots.”