Mina, other top cops meet with Obama in D.C.
Orlando police Chief John Mina was one of several top cops from around the nation who attended a forum Thursday at the White House with President Barack Obama about reforming the criminal-justice system.
Mina was with law-enforcement leaders from across the country participating an initiative aimed at making data on police activity more available to the public.
The Police Data Initiative — consisting of law-enforcement agencies across the country — started from a task force formed late last year by the president. Its goal is to understand and address policing challenges, and help agencies build trust within their communities.
They discussed alternative sentencings and treatment programs for drug offenders, reforms on mandatory minimums and community policing.
“I do think we are in a unique moment in which on a bipartisan effort, across the political spectrum people are asking hard questions about our criminal-justice system and how can we make it smart, effective, just, fair,” Obama said during the forum. Officials stressed the importance of re-investing money in treatment and reentry programs.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said money saved from not incarcerating suspects should go back into crime-prevention programs.
“There needs to be adequate programs for people to be diverted into,” he said.
Orlando police joined the initiative earlier this year. OPD is the only Florida agency participating, according to a police spokeswoman.
In a statement, Mina said he’s honored to be part of the discussion about criminaljustice reform.
“At OPD, we are committed to improving transparency and look forward to providing our residents with access to a variety of data — including crime statistics, information on police/citizen encounters and officer-involved shootings,” Mina said.
Orlando police said their top goals are similar to what the initiative hopes to achieve, including increasing transparency and reducing inappropriate-use-of-force incidents.
Other agencies participating in the initiative include the Los Angeles Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department and the New Orleans Police Department, according to the White House.
Earlier this year, the White House outlined several commitments for the initiative, such as using open data to build transparency and trust, and putting a focus on internal accountability.