KRISTIN FISHER AT THE
WHITE HOUSE, KRISTIN, THANKS.
>> THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT.
LET’S BRING BRING IN JERON
SMITH.
I DON’T THINK WE’VE SPOKEN
BEFORE SO WELCOME TO "AMERICA’S
NEWSROOM."
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Sandra: I WAS STRUCK BY
LORI LIGHTFOOT.
SHE SAYS THAT SHE ARE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THIS OR TURN IT
GOING TO CHANGE THIS OR TURN IT AROUND IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AROUND IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND WE REALIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY
ALL OF THOSE COUNCILS ARE
FOCUSED, AND THEY HAD CONVENING
TO DEAL WITH THIS VERY ISSUE,
BUT WE ARE NOT WORKING WITH THE
MAYOR.
WE HEARD THAT THEY ARE AT THIS
PRESS CONFERENCE.
BY THE WAY, WE INVITE HER ALL
THE TIME TO TALK.
SHE SORT OF HAD THIS, BE CAREFUL
WHAT YOU’RE ASKING FOR.
WE WOULD HAVE TO ELIMINATE THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF OUR POLICE
FORCE, MANY OF WHOM COME A
MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
>> AND THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
I THINK WHAT WE TRY TO DO, WE
DID IT WITH CONGRESSMAN DANNY
DAVIS AND PUT POLITICS ASIDE,
AND WE LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITY
ZONES, AND WE ARE WILLING TO GO
BACK AND TO DO THE WORK.
THESE ISSUES AREN’T ABOUT
POLITICS, THEY ARE ABOUT
OUTCOMES AND HONESTLY SOME OF
THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED FOR
OVER 30 YEARS.
MANY LEADERS PROMISED THAT THEY
WANT TO DO REFORM AND DON’T LIFT
A FINGER BUT I WOULD INVITE MER
TO WORK WITH US.
WE’VE WORKED WITH OTHER
DEMOCRATIC MAYORS, AND WE ARE
REALLY MOVING THE NEEDLE IN
THOSE COMMUNITIES.
>> Sandra: THE POLICE CHIEF IN
McALLEN, TEXAS, WHO JUST LOST THOSE TWO POLICE OFFICERS JUST
THOSE TWO POLICE OFFICERS JUST
WENT ON FOX NEWS.
THE POLICING SYSTEM, IT’S NOT
FLAWLESS.
HUMAN BEINGS MAKE MISTAKES AND,
THERE ISN’T A BETTER SYSTEM OUT
THERE.
>> THIS ISN’T JUST A DEMOCRAT,
IT SHOWS UP IN THE POLLS.
THERE ARE BIPARTISAN CALLS FOR
POLICE REFORM, AND WHERE DO YOU
SEE COMMON GROUND?
>> THEY WERE CREATING A CAR RESPONDER PROGRAM WHICH WOULD
RESPONDER PROGRAM WHICH WOULD
POLICE OFFICERS ON THE JOB.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
ISSUES LIKE USE OF FORCE.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE
DEAL WITH ISSUES SUCH AS RACIAL
PROFILING? SENATOR SCOTT REALLY PUSH TO
SENATOR SCOTT REALLY PUSH TO
HAVE THAT DONE, AND THEY ARE
WILLING AND WAITING TO DO JUST
THAT.
>> SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS WHEN WE LOOK AT 2020
AND WE SEE THIS ISSUE AS IT
TAKES SHAPE, THAT JOE BIDEN
WANTS TO DEFUND THE POLICE.
HIS CAMPAIGN IS MAKING IT VERY
CLEAR THAT HE IS ACTUALLY A POSE
THAT MOVEMENT.
THEY SUPPORT THE NEED FOR URGENT
OVERHAUL AFTER THE KILLINGS OF
MANY BLACK MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
HERE IS A BIT FROM A JOE BIDEN
INTERVIEW LAST WEEK AND I WANT
TO GET YOUR REACTION TO IT.
>> MILITARY RECRUITMENT FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY DON’T NEED
THAT.
LAST THING YOU NEED IS AN UP
ARMORED HUMVEE COMING INTO A
NEIGHBORHOOD TO COME LIKE THE
MILITARY INVADING.
THEY DON’T KNOW ANYBODY, THEY
ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING
THESE PEOPLE.
>> WE AGREE THAT WE CAN REDIRECT
SOME OF THE FUNDING?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Sandra: SO HE’S TALKING
ABOUT REDIRECTING SOME OF THE
FUNDING.
SO WE ARE LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM
ACTUAL ELECTION DAY BUT THIS HAS
EMERGED AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
ISSUES AS WE WORK AWAY FROM
NOVEMBER.
>> MANY OF THESE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, AND WHEN WE HAVE
OVERWHELMING VIOLENCE, WE WANT
TO PROTECT THAT COMMUNITY.
WE HAD A 4-YEAR-OLD DIE IN
KANSAS CITY.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO
GIVE THE POLICE THE RESOURCES
THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB AND
CREATE SAFETY FOR THEIR
COMMUNITY.
>> Sandra: WHAT DO YOU CHARACTERIZE THE PRESIDENTS
CHARACTERIZE THE PRESIDENTS
OPINION ON THIS ISSUE?
>> THESE ARE POCKETS OF URBAN
CITIES AND, THESE ARE