Protests alone won’t bring lasting police reform
“Mama, Mama … I can’t breathe” were some of the last words George Floyd struggled to utter while being killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Those words not only haunted millions of us in the aftermath of his death, but are now prominently displayed on signs lining the streets of hundreds of cities. The world has taken to the streets in protest. However, protest alone will not bring about change.
A clear strategy and goals for reform and an inclusive process for change are also needed in order to effectively combat racial injustice. Former President Barack Obama recently described protest and politics as a both/and rather than an either/or proposition. Inclusive community engagement, setting specific goals for reform and using the political process to hold leaders accountable for implementing changes within clear timeframes are all necessary to prevent the bold ideas being discussed from ending up in reports that collect dust on shelves. Whatever the idea, big or small, we have to begin at the community level to gain traction. Taking this approach will enable this moment to be converted into a movement that results in long-term, meaningful change.
The world was watching as Houston laid George Floyd to rest. His death and countless others have led activists, political leaders, stakeholders and the general public to direct an unprecedented level of attention to fighting police brutality and racial injustice. The “why” or mission of this effort is clear, but we also must clearly identify the “how” and the “what” in order to ensure that systemic change will result from this outcry.
To implement sustaining change, we must start with the community. The City of Houston should form a justice commission comprised of diverse stakeholders and community members to engage the public and make recommendations for reforms that combat police brutality and systemic racial injustice. These reforms should apply to police policies and procedures, state law and federal law. These recommendations should also be informed by public forums to listen to community concerns and input.
The commission should address reforms, including, but not limited to: appropriate cadet screening; bias, crisis and de-escalation training; officer intervention in excessive force situations; independent investigation and independent prosecutor involvement in use of force death claims and officer shootings; transparency with police misconduct records and claims; bans against chokeholds; body camera policies that increase public accessibility; elimination of no-knock warrants; citizen review board with subpoena power; exhausting alternatives before shooting; policies that demand reductions in racial disparities in connection with arrests, use of force and deaths at the hands of law enforcement; community policing; appropriate discharge of officers who should no longer be on the job due to excessive force; and other potential reforms.
Once the recommendations are established by the commission, timetables for specific goals , as well as points of contact to be held accountable for these goals should be presented in the report to the public and to the city. This keeps the focus on expedient action and prevents the recommendations from getting lost in the abyss of “further review” and bureaucracy. In order to reinforce accountability, the commission should also host public meetings to provide updates on progress in concert with the timetable established.
Along with policy advocacy and an inclusive process, the third leg to this three-legged stool is political participation. Individuals and groups advocating for change should register to vote and get deputized to register voters for the 2020 elections, as well as subsequent elections. The public must vote for candidates and officials who support a clear and specific agenda for combating police brutality and racial injustice. Such political participation does not stop at the election booth.
Voting is only the beginning of our political participation:; we must remain engaged and hold leaders accountable to do what they say they are going to do while on the campaign trail. If our elected officials do not vote in a manner consistent with their promises or deliver on their promises, we should hold them accountable by supporting candidates who will.
We must approach this moment with a heightened since of urgency to deliver meaningful change so that the murders of Floyd and countless others are not in vain. This nation cannot respond to this moment of truth with the delayed pace of “all deliberate speed” that followed Brown v. Board of Education. We must act with urgency as lives continue to be at risk each day that we delay. We must engage the community in honest discourse. We must set a clear course of action and reform at all levels. We must participate politically and hold our leadership accountable. If we do these things, we can transform this moment into a movement that shifts the trajectory of this nation — one in which America begins to extend her hands of justice to all of her people, no matter the color of their skin.