US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that addresses policing in the country. This is amid the protests and the public call for police reform after the death of George Floyd and other African Americans in the hands of law enforcement.
The police won't be defunded
The order of President Trump was previewed by the White House on June 15. According to Review Journal, it has three components, they are boosting information-sharing to better track police officers with complaints regarding excessive use-of-force, credentialing and certifying police departments and creating co-responded services that are focused on drug addiction, mental health and homelessness.
President Trump said from the Rose Garden of the White House that raising standards and reducing crime are not different goals. He also emphasized that he wants reform that does not compromise the work and authority of good police and he said that there is just a "tiny" percentage of bad cops, mentioned in CNN.
President Trump said that chokeholds, a move that killed Eric Gardner and George Floyd, is off-limits unless the life of the officer is at risk. Just last week, he said that chokeholds are "innocent" and "perfect", but now he wants to see an end to this kind of style.
However, the President did not just talk about the executive order, he also addressed the state of the economy. On June 15, the President told the reports at the White House that his goal for the executive order is to restore law and order in the country. He said he wants it done justly and fairly and he also wants it done safely. He said it is about law and order, but about justice too.
According to a senior administration official, President Trump is going to ask Congress to pass legislation and to allocate funding to implement the programs of the White House.
The executive order from the White House is separate from the efforts on Capitol Hill that is now focused on police reforms.
What the Congress is now doing
The Democrats had worked on creating measures last week to make sure that police offices can be held accountable for increasing transparency and misconduct. The measure of the Democrats bans police from using excessive force such as chokeholds during arrests and no-knock warrants are prohibited.
The Democrats are also pushing to make it easier for victims of police misconduct to recover damages when their rights are violated.
The Republicans are crafting its own package, headed by Senator Tom Scott of South Carolina, and the legislative package will focus on accountability, police reporting, training of law enforcement officers, and relations.
The death of George Floyd on May 25 sparked a worldwide protest against systemic racism and police brutality.
The public is now calling for the police to be defunded and invest in the community instead. According to Peter G. Peterson Foundation, as of 2020, the proposed budget for the US military and law enforcement is $718 billion while the budget for education is only $68 billion.
The protesters are saying that the budget for the US military and police force is too much, as they are complete in riot gear and war weapons, while the schools in the country lack basic school supplies and the teachers are underpaid.
