By Ben Jealous
President, People For
the American Way
Washington, D.C. – Following reports that President Biden will sign an Executive Order on police use of force tomorrow, on the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“We encourage the administration and Congress to continue exploring solutions to the tragedy of police violence and systemic racism. Unfortunately, this Executive Order as reported reflects an approach that is far too timid. It appears that the administration is bowing to the wishes of an entrenched police union establishment that is change-averse and politically powerful. Instead, it should listen to the voices of communities, especially Black and brown communities, for whom the status quo is deadly.
“The EO as described would not only minimize limits on use of force, it would sidestep addressing systemic racism and fail to invest in new models of public safety, like unarmed responders and violence interrupters.
“We need to demilitarize and fundamentally transform public safety, and as the federal government continues to do too little, local communities must step up.
“Meanwhile we call on the president and congressional leaders to take the kind of bolder action we elected them to take.”
