World News | Trump Signs Executive Order on Police Reforms
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order encouraging police departments to adopt best practices and "highest professional standards" amid calls for police reforms following nationwide protests over the brutal killing of African-American George Floyd in police custody.
Washington, Jun 16 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order encouraging police departments to adopt best practices and "highest professional standards" amid calls for police reforms following nationwide protests over the brutal killing of African-American George Floyd in police custody.
Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on May 25 when a white police officer pinned him to the ground and knelt on his neck while he gasped for breath, triggering nationwide violent protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
“Today, I am signing an executive order encouraging police departments nationwide to adopt the highest professional standards to serve their communities. These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on earth. The vast majority of police officers are selfless and courageous public servants,” Trump said in the Rose Garden of the White House.
“They are great men and women. When others run away from danger, police run straight into harm's way, often putting their lives at stake to protect someone who they don't know, or never even met. Great danger,” he said amidst growing call by his political opponents and rights bodies to dismantle local police.
Trump said he strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defend, dismantle, and dissolve the police departments, especially now when they have achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history.
“Americans know the truth. Without police, there is chaos. Without law, there is anarchy. And without safety, there is catastrophe,” he said.
“We need leaders at every level of government who have the moral clarity to state these obvious facts. Americans believe we must support the brave men and women in blue who police our streets and keep us safe. Americans also believe we must improve accountability, increase transparency, and invest more resources in police training, recruiting, and community engagement,” said the president.
“Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals. They are not mutually exclusive. They work together--they all work together,” he said.
"What's needed now is not more stoking of fear and division. We need to bring law enforcement and communities closer together, not to drive them apart,” said the president.
Despite very good record on crime, law and order must be further restored nationwide, he said.
“Your federal government is ready, willing, and able to help as we did in Minneapolis after it got out of control for four days,” he said.
“We sent in representatives, commonly known as the National Guard, and it was all put down very quickly. We're willing to help. We're willing to help in Seattle, we're willing to help anywhere you want. And we'll be there very quickly, it won't take long,” he added.
Asserting that there will be no more looting or arson, President said that the penalty will be very grave for those who get caught.
“Violence and destruction will not be tolerated. We cannot do that. The looters have no cause that they're fighting for, just trouble,” he said.
“Every day, police officers make great sacrifices to keep our communities secure and safe. In 2018, our police arrested nearly 12,000 people for murder, 25,000 people for rape, and nearly 1.5 million for assault. Very dangerous criminals. In many cases, local law enforcement is underfunded, understaffed, and under supported. Forty-seven percent of all murders in Chicago and 68 percent of all murders in Baltimore went without arrests last year,” he added.
In a statement, the White House said this historic Executive Order provides law enforcement agencies around the country with the necessary resources to implement best practices and protect the communities they serve by providing incentives to utilise a new nationwide database to track terminations, criminal convictions, and civil judgments against law enforcement officers for excessive use-of-force.
“In addition, the Executive Order prioritises training and other programs for police and social workers responding to incidents involving the mentally ill, addicted, and homeless. Ultimately, the Executive Order seeks to strengthen our Nation's efforts to secure positive, lasting relationships between citizens and law enforcement officers in communities across America,” the White House said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)