TWITTER, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
AND BANNED CHOKE HOLDS AND NO
KNOCK WARRANTS IN DRUG CASES.
JOINING NOW IS ONE OF THE
SPONSORS OF THE BILL, SENATOR
KAMALA HARRIS, DEMOCRAT OF
CALIFORNIA.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
LEGISLATION FIRST, SENATOR.
I WANT TO START WITH THIS SORT
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WORK.
I TALK TO A LOT OF ACTIVISTS AND
FOLKS WORKING ON THIS FROM
FERGUSON ON AND THERE IS SOME
REAL FRUSTRATION AMONG PEOPLE
THAT DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS AT
REFORMS, BODY CAMERAS, WHICH ARE
A BIG POINT OF REFORM, POLICE
TRAINING, ALL KINDS OF
DISCIPLINE ACTIONS FOR POLICE,
THAT IF THEY FAIL TO SORT OF DO
THE THING THAT WE WANT TO
HAPPEN, WHAT IS YOUR CASE FOR
WHY THIS PACKAGE WOULDN’T FAIL,
WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE REAL TEETH
IN CHANGING THINGS?
>> WELL, IT BUILDS UPON
EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN
THE PAST, CHRIS.
BUT WHAT IT DOES MOST
SPECIFICALLY IS IT IS -- IT IS
COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY DIRECTED
AT ONE ISSUE, WHICH IS
ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSEQUENCE
WHEN THERE IS A VIOLATION OF LAW
WHEN THE RULES ARE BROKEN.
SO IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU
MENTIONED, OUR BILL JUSTICE IN
POLICING, WHICH IS SPONSORED BY
THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS,
OF WHICH I AM A MEMBER, SENATOR
COREY BOOKER AND MYSELF AND SO
MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES ARE
ENDORSING AS CO-SPONSORS, WHAT
IT WILL DO ARE THINGS LIKE
CHANGE THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR
USE OF FORCE.
SO CURRENTLY IN SO MANY
JURISDICTIONS, CHRIS, WHEN THERE
IS AN EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE,
THE QUESTION IN A COURTROOM WHEN
REVIEWING THAT IS TO ASK, WELL,
WAS THAT USE OF FORCE
REASONABLE?
WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FIND A
REASON FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
IT IS NOT A FAIR STANDARD.
AND IT IS ALMOST INSURMOUNTABLE
WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
PROSECUTION OF EXCESSIVE FORCE.
SO WE’RE SUGGESTING THAT IT BE
CHANGED TO ASK THE QUESTION
INSTEAD, NOT WAS THAT
REASONABLE, BUT WAS IT
NECESSARY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DOING
PATTERN AND PRACTICES
INVESTIGATIONS.
WHEN I WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF
CALIFORNIA, I INITIATED PATTERN
AND PRACTICE INVESTIGATIONS OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT
WERE ACCUSED OF DISCRIMINATION.
SO WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN THAT,
PUT TEETH IN IT SO FOR EXAMPLE
THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION
WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK
STARTED UNDER A PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION BUT STOPPED UNDER
DONALD TRUMP.
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GO AFTER
THOSE POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT
HAVE A PATTERN AND PRACTICE OF
DISCRIMINATION.
IN ADDITION, WE ARE PROPOSING
THAT THERE NEED TO BE
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS.
LY TELL YOU, AS A FORMER
PROSECUTOR, NO MATTER HOW WELL
INTENTIONED A D.A. OR A STATES
ATTORNEY, THE REALITY IS THAT
THERE IS AT THE VERY LEAST A
LACK OF APPEARANCE OF ABSENCE OF
CONFLICT WHEN THAT PROSECUTOR IS
INVESTIGATING A POLICE OFFICER
FROM AN AGENCY THEY WORK WITH
EVERY DAY.
WE NEED TO HAVE INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATIONS.
AND THEN ANOTHER PIECE IS
TRANSPARENCY IN TERMS OF DATA.
AGAIN, WHEN I WAS ATTORNEY
GENERAL, WE OPENED UP THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE’S DATA WHICH OTHERWISE
JOURNALISTS HAD TO CLAW OUT OF
US.
WE OPENED IT UP.
AND I SAID, LOOK, WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS
INFORMATION ABOUT DEATHS IN
CUSTODY, ARREST RATES BASED ON
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
SO THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT ARE IN THIS PACKAGE AND
INCLUDING OUR ANTILYNCHING BILL.
TO YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW FAR HAVE
WE COME, THE FACT THAT WE CAN’T,
LAST WEEK, GET THROUGH AN
ANTILYNCHING BILL AT THIS YEAR
OF OUR LORD 2020 IS RIDICULOUS.
SO THE OBSTACLES ARE THERE TO
PASSING THE LEGISLATION.
BUT IT’S GOOD WORK.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT DOES NOT ADDRESS WHAT WE NEED
TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF REALLY
DEALING WITH WHAT WILL TRULY
CREATE SAFETY AND HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES IN AMERICA.
IT IS A VERY SPECIFIC FOCUS,
WHICH IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND
CONSEQUENCE IN POLICING.
>> WELL, WHEN YOU HEAR -- I’M
SURE YOU SAW THE MAYOR IN
WASHINGTON, D.C., OBVIOUSLY
PAINTED BLACK LIVES MATTER ON
16th STREET.
OTHER PROTESTERS CAME AND
PAINTED THE PHRASE, DEFUND THE
POLICE, THE PRESIDENT VIEWS IT
AS POLITICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS.
JOE BIDEN TODAY COMING OUT AND
SAYING, I DON’T SUPPORT IT.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?
>> SO, CHRIS, WE HAVE TO
REIMAGINE THAT SAFETY AND PUBLIC
SAFETY IN AMERICA, YOU KNOW, THE
STATUS QUO HAS BEEN TO DETERMINE
AND CREATE POLICY AROUND THE
IDEA THAT MORE POLICE EQUALS
MORE SAFETY, AND THAT’S JUST
WRONG.
YOU KNOW WHAT CREATES GREATER
SAFETY?
FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO
THAT CURRENTLY TWO-THIRDS OF OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHERS DON’T HAVE
TO COME OUT OF THEIR OWN BACK
POCKET TO CREATE SCHOOL
SUPPLIES, INVESTING THE ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES OF COMMUNITIES,
CREATING JOBS.
WHAT CREATES SAFE AND HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES, MAKING SURE ALL
PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH
CARE, MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND
THAT IT IS WITHIN THEIR REACH,
MEANING IT IS AFFORDABLE.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT CREATE
SAFE COMMUNITIES.
IN AMERICA TODAY, MANY CITIES AS
THE TOTAL HAVE OF THEIR BUDGET,
ONE-THIRD GOES TO POLICING.
WE ALL HAVE TO STEP BACK AND
ASK, IS THAT THE SMARTEST AND
BEST WAY TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE
SAFETY THROUGH HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES?
WE HAVE SAFE COMMUNITIES.
I ALSO HAVE TO POINT SOMETHING
ELSE OUT, CHRIS.
WHEN YOU GO TO MIDDLE AND UPPER
MIDDLE CLASS SUBURBAN
COMMUNITIES, YOU DON’T SEE THE
PATROL CARS SITTING OUT ON THE
CORNER AND PATROLLING THE
STREETS LIKE YOU DO IN OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU DON’T SEE THE KIND OF POLICE
PRESENCE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO SEE?
YOU SEE WELL FUNDED SCHOOLS.
WHAT YOU DO SEE IS FAMILIES WHO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THROUGH
THE END OF THE MONTH AND NOT
WORRY ABOUT HOW THEY’RE GOING TO
PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.
WHAT YOU DO SEE ARE ACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC
HEALTH AND TO HEALTH CARE.
SO WE DO NEED TO REIMAGINE HOW
WE, AS A SOCIETY, ARE GOING TO,
IN A SMART WAY, ACHIEVE PUBLIC
SAFETY.
WE DON’T WANT POLICE OFFICERS TO
BE DEALING WITH THE HOMELESS
ISSUE.
WE DON’T WANT POLICE OFFICERS TO
BE DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
AND MENTAL HEALTH.
NO.
WE SHOULD BE PUTTING THOSE
RESOURCES INTO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH
SYSTEMS.
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT OUR
BUDGETS AND ASK, ARE WE GETTING
THE BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT AS
TAXPAYERS, MUCH LESS WHAT IS
MORALLY RIGHT AND WHAT IS RIGHT
IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY HAVING SAFE
COMMUNITIES THAT THRIVE.
AND ALSO I’LL MENTION, PART OF
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE IS ALSO
LOOK AT THE MILITARIZATION OF
POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE KIND
OF MONEY THAT IS GOING TO THAT,
AND WE NEED TO DEMILITARIZE
POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
SO THERE IS A LOT IN THIS
CONVERSATION.
BUT AT ITS CORE, ONE OF THE
ISSUES THAT I THINK WE SHOULD
ALL AGREE ON IS THAT IT IS OLD
THINKING.
IT IS OUTDATED AND IT IS