LWV Supports Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety

by Sarah Courtney

WASHINGTON – Today, the CEO of the League of Women Voters, Virginia Kase Solomón, issued the following statement on President Biden’s Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety:

“Two years since the world watched police officers brutally murder George Floyd, we still do not have a federal law that addresses the systemic problems in law enforcement.

“The League welcomes the Biden administration’s measures to improve transparency and protections for civilians as an important step towards achieving greater accountability in policing and equity in our criminal justice system. We applaud the administration for improving and diversifying police recruitment while implementing screening tools to ensure that agencies do not hire or partner with white supremacists.

“With that said, there is still much to be done to root out white supremacy within our national institutions. Despite making up 13% of the population, in 2021 Black people represented 27% of all people fatally shot by law enforcement. It will take more than just these measures to end this racist violence.

“While the executive order is a good step forward, we need Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as law in our country. The League is committed to eliminating police brutality, and we will not rest until action is taken to reform law enforcement in America. Too many Black and brown people continue to die at the hands of the police. Now is the time for the Senate to take action and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.”