Tell the Senate to Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

From the Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org):

One year ago today, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer on the streets of Minneapolis in broad daylight.

This is how people across the United States are recognizing the one-year mark of his tragic death:

“President Biden is expected to host the Floyd family at the White House. People across Minneapolis are planning to gather to mark the anniversary, including at George Floyd Square, the several blocks around Cup Foods, where Mr. Floyd was killed,” The New York Times wrote today.¹ “And throughout the country, from Chicago to Seattle to Washington, Americans will be remembering Mr. Floyd and the impact his death had on the country.”

Together—on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder—write to your U.S. Senators at https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-the-senate-pass-the-george-floyd-justice-in-policing-act-2 and demand they vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives more than two months ago. The time is now for the Senate to act!

This legislation is critically necessary, but only one step in addressing hundreds of years of racial inequality and oppression.

This legislation addresses violence in policing—particularly targeted against Black and brown people.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ² makes it easier to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution and grants subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Further, this critical legislation develops a framework to prevent and remedy racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. It also limits the unnecessary use of force and restricts the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It establishes new reporting requirements, including on the use of force, officer misconduct, and routine policing practices (e.g., stops and searches).

Lastly, it directs the U.S. Justice Department to create uniform accreditation standards for law enforcement agencies and requires law enforcement officers to complete training on racial profiling, implicit bias, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force.

Together, we must address the difficult subject of “qualified immunity,” which is a legal shield that makes it incredibly difficult to sue police officers for wrongdoing they committed on the job. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as passed by the House would end qualified immunity as a defense in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer.

True justice would be if George Floyd was still alive. But we cannot give up. Send a letter to your Senators today demanding the immediate passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act!

We must stop local police departments from using equipment designed for the U.S. Military. The George Floyd Act would limit—but not end—transfers of military goods, like drones and body armor, to state and local police departments. After we pass this essential legislation, we will keep fighting to keep military equipment out of the hands of local police, who are supposed to be focused on community policing, not warfare against our residents.

The Senate must take this moment to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to end police brutality and bring about a new vision for justice that reimagines safety, holds law enforcement accountable, and invests in the needs of community members—especially Black and brown people and people with low incomes.

Thank you for all you do to fight for a future that includes all of us, not just the wealthy few.

¹ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/us/george-floyd-protests-unrest-events-timeline.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage
² https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1280?r=1&s=1