June 9, 2020 IN: Press Room
Sweeping Police Reform Legislation Introduced in Congress
First step to criminal justice system reform, but more divestment from policing and investment in communities needed
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Limits on use of force
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Ban on profiling
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Restrictions on policies such as qualified immunity for police officers who violate an individual’s constitutional rights
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Ban on No-Knock warrants in drug cases
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And limits on the transfer of military equipment to state and local law enforcement.
“We applaud the introduction of the Justice in Policing Act and we are hopeful for the conversations about police reform it will move forward,” said Quyen Dinh, executive director of SEARAC. “However, police violence persists because our country’s law enforcement and justice system are rooted in systematic racial inequity, oppression, and discrimination, and especially in anti-Blackness. In order to prevent further police violence and bring justice to all who have been impacted by it–George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others–Congress must act boldly to help communities rebuild. On the 45th year anniversary of Southeast Asian American resettlement and resilience in America, it is incumbent on us as allies to stand with the Black community now more than ever to demand justice and true change.”
