Transcripts For CSPAN Hearing On Police Reform Witnesses Opening Statements 20240712

Hearing featuring Opening Statements from the witnesses. Chairman Jerrold Nadler and members of the committee, thank you for the invitation here today to talk about my big brother, george. The world knows him as george, but i called him perry. Yesterday, we laid him to rest. It was the hardest thing i ever had to do. Im the big brother now. So its my job to come for my brothers and my sisters, perrys kids, and everyone who loved him. Thats a lot of people. I have to be the strong one now because george is gone. And me being the big brother now is why im here today. To do what perry always would have done. To take care of the family and others. I couldnt take care of george that day he was killed, but may be by speaking with you today, i can make sure that his death was not in vain. Moreke sure that he is than another face on a tshirt, more than another name on a list that wont stop growing. George always made sacrifices for our family. Officers all the sir. He was mildmannered. He didnt fight back. He listened to all the officers. The man who took his life, who suffocated him for eight minutes and 46 seconds, he still called him sir as he begged for his life. I cant tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch Something Like that. When you wash your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die, die begging im tired. Pain. Red of pain you feel when you watch Something Like this. When you watch your big brother who you looked up for your whole life die, die begging for his mom. I am here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us being tired. George called for help and he was ignored. Please listen to the calls i am to you now, to the calls of our family and the calls ringing out the streets across the world. People of all backgrounds, genders and races, have come together to demand change. Honor them. Honor george. Make the necessary changes that make Law Enforcement solution and not the problem. Hold them accountable when they do something wrong. Teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what Necessary Force is. Teach them dearly deadly force should be used rarely and only when life is at risk. George wasnt hurting anyone that day. He didnt deserve to die over 20. Im asking you, is that would a black man is worth . 20 . This is 2020. Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough. The world needs the right thing. The leaders of this country, the people elected you to speak for change. Make positive georges name mean something. You have the opportunity here today to make your names mean something, too. If his death ends up changing , and ild for the better think it will, then he died as he lived. It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain. I didnt get the chance to say goodbye. To perry while he was here. I was robbed of that. But i know hes looking down at us now. Perry, look at what you did, big brother. You changed the world. Thank you for everything. For taking care of us on earth, but taking care of us now. I hope you find mama and you can rest in peace with power. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Floyd. Ceo of thent and Leadership Conference on civil and human rights. Ms. Gupta previously served as acting assistant attorney general at the department of justice and led the departments Civil Rights Division. She received her degree from yale university. You may begin. Thank you, chairman. Mr. Floyd, thank you for being here today and those incredibly powerful words and we are so sorry. Chairman nadler, Ranking Member collins, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today and thank you chairman nadler for calling this hearing on policing practices and the need for transformative policies that account accountability and reimagine Public Safety and the dignity of all people. While the recent murder of george floyd at the hands of for Minneapolis Police officers put the issue of Police Brutality in the national spotlight, the outpouring of pain and anger is anything but a reaction to one isolated incident for the misconduct of a few bad apples. Instead, the outcry is a response to the long cycle of stolen lives and violence with impunity towards black people in our nation. We are now at a turning point. There is no returning to normal. We have to create a new way forward, one that does more than tinker at the edges, that promotes data and training. We need something that truly transforms policing and leads to more accountability for police communites. It is imperative we get this right and Congress Response reflects the acknowledgement of black lives matter, the movement for black lives, so many people that are bringing us to this Tipping Point. My tenure as head of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division began two months after 18yearold Michael Brown was killed by a Police Officer in ferguson. The Justice Department was hardly perfect, but we understood our mandate to promote accountability and constitutional policing in order to build community trust. During the obama administration, we opened 25 pattern or practice investigations to help realize greater structural and communitycentered change, often at the request of Police Chiefs and mayors who needed federal leadership. After making findings, we negotiated Consent Decrees with extensive engagement and input from Community Advocates who not only identified unjust and unlawful policing practices, but also helped develop sustainable mechanisms for accountability and systemic change. That is not the Justice Department that we have today. Under both attorney general Jeff Sessions and bill barr, the department has abdocated its responsibility and abandoned the use of tools like pattern practice investagations and Consent Decrees. Instead it has focused on dismantling Police Accountability and halting any new investigations throughout the department of justice to bring forth accountability and transparency and policing is deeply concerning. In the absence of federal leadership, the Leadership Conference Education Fund launched the new era Public Safety initiative, comprehensive guide and toolkit outlining proposals to build trust between communities and Police Departments, restore confidence, and imagine a new paradigm of Public Safety. While much of these changes must happen at the state and local level, success is going to require the leadership, support, commitment at the federal government, including congress. Last week, the Leadership Conference in more than 400 civil rights organizations sent a letter to congress to move us forward on a path of true accountability. The recommendations included the following one, Greater National necessary standard on these of force. Two, private racial profiling. Three, end the use of chokeholds and other restraint maneuvers. Four, end the militarization of policing. Five, prohibit the use of no knock warrants, especially in drug cases. Six, strengthen federal account ability systems and increase the Justice Departments authority to prosecute officers that engage in misconduct. Seven, create a National Police misconduct registry. Eight, end qualified unity. Introduced by both house of representatives and the senate reflects much of this accountability framework. This is congresss most comprehensive effort in decades by taking on issues Critical Issues affecting black and brown communities. As the bill advances toward passage, we will continue to work on it and ensure real change is achieved. Let me say in closing that policing reform alone is not going to solve a crisis that we are in today. This moment of reckoning requires leaders together with communities to envision new paradigm of Public Safety that respect for human rights of all people. That means not just changing policing practices and culture, but ultimately shrinking the footprint of the criminal legal system and a black and brown peoples lives and it means shifting our approach to Public Safety from exclusively focusing on criminalization and policing toward adjustments in education, health care, and other public benefits. Police chiefs and officers talk about the same thing. This approach will not only for their equity but also constitute effective policy. When we stop using criminal Justice Policy as social policy, we will make communities safer and more prosperous. Nows the time for congress to pass lasting Accountability Measures and we look forward to working with you until the day these reforms are signed into law. George floyds death has impacted the world, and now it is on us to change it. Thank you. Rep. Nadler thank you very much. Without objection, at the request of the Ranking Member, i will now recognize the distant wish minority leader of the house for a brief introduction of his constituent, our next witness, Angela Underwood jacobs. Thank you for convening this very important hearing. Mr. Floyd, thank you for your powerful words. I will make one promise to you, your brother will not have died in vain. Im here to introduce Angela Underwood jacobs. Her husband michael and her daughter trinity. More importantly, im here to listen to them and all of you. I know angela and i am proud to call her a friend. She is a mother, a businesswoman, and the first black woman to become a city councilmember in lancaster, california. Angela is here to testify because her brother, Dave Patrick Underwood, was tragically and senselessly murdered in the line of duty two weeks ago in oakland. We mourn and pray for angela and the entire underwood and floyd family. As a member of the federal protective service, pat was guarding the federal courthouse. A symbol of equal justice and the rule of law. During the riots in oakland on the night of his death, it appears his death was part of a targeted attack on federal Law Enforcement. We pray that justice comes swiftly and completely for pat, for george floyd, and all victims of violence. Pat underwood should be alive today. George floyd should be alive today. David dern should be alive today. And so should countless others. And though we cannot bring them back, we can learn from their lives and deliver the justice and change they deserve. I hope that every member of this committee will listen closely and carefully to what angela has to say. Our nation must listen and it must heal. Like dr. King, we must reconcile our differences with a renewed sense of love and compassion. Like president lincoln, we must remember that we are not enemies but we are friends. Friends that have a responsibility to rise above. To make sure that we will become the more Perfect Union we strive to be. And i hope that this moment in time, we rise to the occasion. I yield back. Rep. Nadler thank you, mr. Mccarthy. Ms. Underwood jacobs, may begin. Ms. Underwood jacobs i truly appreciate the opportunity to be here today. As a nation, as a people, we must come together to defeat fear, hate, prejudice, and violence. I want to ensure the memory of my brother patrick is a catalyst against injustice, intolerance, and violence of any kind. I want to honor my brother Dave Patrick Underwood and our family and help our nation think about how to navigate the righteous path to equality, freedom, and nonviolent systemic change. I want to extend my sympathies and condolences to George Floyds family. Mr. Floyds murder was just not cruel, reprehensible, but criminal. The officers involved should be brought to justice and held accountable for their actions as well as their inaction. I wish that same justice for my brother patrick, who served with distinction and honor as a federal officer for the department of Homeland Security until he was murdered anonymously by blind violence on the steps of the federal courthouse in oakland, california. As he took his last breath, on the cold, hard cement after being shot multiple times, he died. Fear, hatred, ignorance, and blind violence snatched the life of my brother patrick from all of us. Dr. Martin luther king jr. Preached, always avoid violence. If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in your struggle, unborn generations will be recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness. And your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos. I have spoken to many people across this country, in fact, across the world, regarding what is going on in america. America is in pain and she is crying. Can you hear her . I am here to seek justice to the chaos for my brother patrick, for george floyd, for citizens of all colors, for communities across america, and for the Police Officers that protect those communities and their citizens every day. The actions of a few are dividing us as a nation at a time when we should be coming together and uniting for the wellbeing of all people. We will never solve injustice with looting, burning, destruction of property, and killing in the name of justice. We must find lawful, Peaceful Solutions that uplift and benefit everyone. And this this is greater than a black, white, or blue issue. It is a humanity issue. When those in a position of authority choose to abuse their power, that is the very definition of oppression. And when innocent people are harmed in the name of justice, no one prevails. We all lose. Everyone deserves the opportunity to feel heard, be seen, and feel safe. Police brutality of any kind must not be condoned. However, it is blatantly wrong to create an excuse out of discrimination and disparity to loot and burn our communities, to kill our officers of the law. It is a ridiculous solution to proclaim Defunding Police departments is the solution to Police Brutality and discrimination. Because it is not a solution. There is a path to achieving what we desire and deserve as a nation and as a people. Equality, fairness, justice, peace, and freedom from oppression. It is the same path we started on during the Civil Rights Movement. The solution to our nations ills are straightforward. Education. We need to actually invest in education again and make it our nations top priority. Through education comes knowledge. Through knowledge comes understanding. And through understanding comes opportunity and freedom. Jobs. If there isnt any chance of making a decent living, there isnt any chance of having a decent, just society. We need to create more jobs that in turn will create more Economic Justice for all americans. Housing. There is no way to live a decent life if you cant find, or in americas case, afford shelter. We need to listen and learn from each other. It is time for everyone to open their ears and listen to what each other has to say. America is the worlds melting pot because we have so many people, cultures, beliefs, and points of view. Somehow we have become siloed. As a single voice in this chambers attempting to honor my brother and family, i hope i can make a difference today. I want to make i want america to make a change. I want you as our representatives in congress to make a change so that no one ever has to wake up to the phone call that i received telling me that my brother was shot dead and murdered. How my brother died was wrong and i am praying that we learn something about how he lived. Patrick was the type of man that when our mother fell to the ground as she was dying, he picked her lifeless body up as her spirit was leaving to place her upon her bed because that is where she wanted to die. My question is, who will pick up patrick and carry his legacy . I believe this is the responsibility for all of us. Please, do not let my brothers patrick do not let my brother patricks name go in vain. Patrick was a good man who only wanted to help others and keep his community safe. He had an infectious laugh and a corny sense of humor. He would go out of his way to help family, friends, and strangers. He did not deserve to die in such a horrendously inhumane way. No one does. Now my family is in a state of hollow disarray. We all feel the anxiety of wondering what tomorrow may bring or may not bring, which has struck fear in our hearts. Nevertheless, i wholeheartedly urge us all, all americans, not to get into hate and anger but to resolve conflict with kindness and love, to lead with a sense of purpose and renewed energy, to create positive change as i have outlined here through education, jobs, housing, and listening. Pat did not tell anyone how to live, but he lived. What an amazing life it was. I will never forget the way my brother smiled and the way he loved his family with every piece of his heart. My wish is for us to live and live without fear and discrimination. Do not simply tolerate your neighbor, but strive to understand one another. We will be a better, more just society for all. Thank you. Rep. Nadler thank you. Our next witnesses is art acevado who served as the chief of the Police Department and also serves as president of the Major City Chiefs Association. The chief received his degree in public administration. Chief, you may began. Thank you, chairman. [inaudible] chairman nadler, Ranking Member jordan, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to participate. Its good to be with you and especially my congresswoman. I want to thank Sheila Jackson lee and congresswoman garcia. I want to thank congresswoman lee and congresswoman bass for their leadership. We look forward to working with the committee. I appeared before you today as the chief of police in houston, texas. It is also my privilege to testify on behalf of the Major City Chiefs Association as their president. No matter the circumstance, every time a life is taken, a loved one is taken. George floyd was a child of god and raised in houston. His death was deeply disturbing and a shock to the conscience. Over the past few days, i have had the opportunity to meet with the floyd family and i will continue to keep them in prayer. Mr. Floyd, thank you to you and your family for allowing us to join you in this journey. Changes in policing must be made. Out of crisis comes opportunity. This is an opportunity for all of us to have tough conversations to listen, learn, and enact meaningful reform that is long overdue. As a profession, we must learn what is being shared with us, including being honest about our history. We must acknowledge Law Enforcements past contains institutional racism, injustices, and brutality. We must acknowledge policing has had a disparate treatment and impact on disenfranchised communities, especially those of color and poor communities. Several topics have risen to the forefront and all forms must be vetted to ensure they are sustainable, effective, and have no unintended consequence several topics Law Enforcement plays an important role. No two calls for service are the same. In houston, we respond to an average 1. 2 million calls for service annually. Those calls disproportionately originate from communities of color. If we are going to talk about better policing, we need to talk about the root causes behind the needs for service. Some think defunding the police is the answer. Im here to tell you on behalf of the mayor and other mayors are us the country and Police Chiefs across the country, and the Diverse Communities we serve, this is simply not the answer. Defunding the police without addressing the socioeconomic reality faced by poor communities in the disenfranchised and how they are riddled with missteps which would increase the need for police services. Answer. Defunding the police without addressing the socioeconomic reality faced by poor underfunding the police can have disastrous consequences and hurt those most in need of our services. Opry it Police Funding is critical to ensure agencies have resources to invest in Technology Like audi worn cameras, recruit qualified Police Officers at our service minded, and train an implicit bias, competency, deescalation, and other critical training. The overwhelming majority of cops are good people. This cannot be lost. They are faithful, Public Service servants who put their uniform on every day willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. We cant let the actions of bad cops let us lose sight of the fact that most cops are good. We must all judge each other through the prism and content of our hearts and actions, and not through the prism of color and uniform we wear. While there is no national use of force standard in previous efforts at establishing one, several components are ubiquitous throughout the u. S. Prioritization of the sanctity of life, duty to intervene, and deescalation tactics and techniques is a must. Lets me be clear. The actions of the four officers involved of the death of mr. Floyd are inconsistent, unjustified, and repulsive. They are contrary to the protocols of policing profession and they sabotage the Law Enforcement communitys tireless effort to build trust. Moving our profession forward begins with a sustained commitment to accountability from the start of academy training. Recruits must understand they have an absolute duty to put Public Safety, service, and security first. In the houston Police Department, we instill in our men and women that certainty policy violations will lead to termination, or as we put it, if you lie, you die. It is important to know that every chiefs administrative authorities are different across the nation and not everyone has the Legal Authority to take immediate action like our chief did. There have been errors in history where police found it difficult to speak up but we are speaking up today. Officers have consistently been holding each other accountable and Police Complaints originate mostly from within the Police Department. Communities have a responsibility as well. We ask citizens to report Police Misconduct without fail. This will afford us the opportunity to investigate, report, and track those complaints. We have to address the issue of officers terminated with cause only to get rehired by another department. Many of us refer to these individuals as gypsy cops. Many gypsy cops have exhibited troubling behavior and that undermines efforts to build trust with the public and in terms of internal department accountability. Mutual trust and respect between Law Enforcement and the public is crucial to the policing the civil unrest occurring throughout our nation and through the entire country. It is a sobering reminder of how quickly we will lose public trust and the consequences of that fact. Unique perspectives and insights help a department lead and serve the communities of color. Im happy to report that the Chiefs Association has several departments now that are minority majority, like houston, and are reflective of the communities we serve. On behalf of the major city chiefs, i want america to know that we hear you, we will continue to do everything in our power to facilitate your right to peacefully protest. The mcc a will not shy away from this challenge and will continue to be a leader and voice in the National Discourse in policing and reform. To the floyd family and act ivists across the nation, our commitment is to be your voice, to join you, and to make sure mr. Floyds death was not in vain. I yield the remainder of my time and look forward to any questions the committee might have. Rep. Nadler thank you, chief. The next witness is the educationof the ncaap and defense fund. She received her jd from new york Diversity School of law and b. A. From vassar college. You may begin. Good morning. My name is Sherrilyn Ifill and im the president and director counsel for the naacp Legal Defense and educational fund. I want to thank chairman that there, Ranking Member jordan, want to salute the leadership of representative staff and the Congressional Black Caucus on this issue. I want to extend, on behalf of the Legal Defense fund my condolences to the floyd family, and thank them for their courage and voice at this important moment. We welcome the justice in policing act as the first step of addressing this policing reform. The legislation includes reforms campaigns that advocated for years to ensure rater accountability for Police Officers engaging in misconduct and brutality. Members of congress incorporate the number of [inaudible] which is a step in the right direction to ensure Police Responsibility nationwide. I want to bring the attention to the significance of this moment and the importance of the federal governments role in addressing this crisis. We are seeing a civil rights moment. In 1964, detroit, harlem, minneapolis, and scores of other cities. Black people went to the streets to protest Police Brutality. Tt was during that period, tha dr. Martin luther king said this language of the unheard. Much of the findings and recommendations focused on Law Enforcement presence and conduct in black communities. This period overlapped the years most people think of as Civil Rights Movement when black demanded federal legislation for segregation, voter suppression, and economic injustice. The results were statutes and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights act of 1965 and the housing act of 1968. The unrest in northern cities, and over 100 cities during that decade, there was no legislation to address the issue of Police Brutality in africanamerican communities. As a result, little has changed since that period as it relates to this issue. Too many officers feel they can commit the most heinous acts against africanamericans without accountability. Ranking member jordan said the killing of george floyd will face killer of george floyd will face justice but those who have killed others, eric garner, michael stewart, sean bell, and countless others never were held accountable for the crimes they committed. The snapshot of the officer kneeling on the neck of george floyd with his hands in his pocket and looking out with no fear should shame every member of this body. Every judge, lawyer, everyone who has participated in the perpetuation of the system that calls itself the Justice System but routinely allows officers of the state to take innocent lives in the community. You have the chance now to change that. One of the key parts of the system of impunity has been followed by immunity that shields officials from the unforeseen consequences of their act but enough provides near immunity for Police Officers to a age and constitutional acts of violence. In 2018, United States Supreme Court appealing a decision that the United States court of appeals for the circuit that 11th affirms free judgment in favor of a Law Enforcement officer. Supreme court denied the decision. This case was not a one off. Officers have eluded accountability for the most violent forms of brutality. Justice in policing act aims to violence. We welcome this amendment. Allant this to apply to filed after the act and we will continue to work toward the elimination of qualified immunity. I will close my remarks by quoting the federal Circuit Court judge, a Decision Just this week, a judge appointed first to the bench by george w. Bush. He says, in jones versus city of arts, wayne jones was killed just one year before the ferguson, missouri shooting of Michael Brown, would once again draw screw in the United States. Asked to establish how five officers could shoot a man 22 times as he lay motionless on the ground. The fbi opened an investigation into the death of yet another black man at the hands of police, this time george floyd in minneapolis. This has to stop. Immunity atlified. His stage we need congress to act. You are required to meet this civil rights moment. It is a moment in which we have a chance to transform our approach to Public Safety. The intervention of a armed officer in two speaker values through federal and state budgets that prioritize our commitments to Public Health and true Public Safety for all. Thank you. Nadler our next witness is darrell scott, the Senior Pastor of the new spirit revival center, a Nondenominational Church in ohio. He is the author of the book, nothing to lose. Ou may begin nadler, rankairman jordan thank you for inviting me to participate in these hearings today. I want to begin by saying that or prospect of defunding dismantling Police Forces across the country is one of the most unwise proposals in our nations history and makes absolutely no sense at all, at least to me. I believe it is nothing short of of currentizing an effort to and garner votes during this election season. I also believe it is a reactionary measure that can and will result in short and longterm damage to american society, particularly in our inner cities and urban communities. I recognize the fact the elimination of Excessive Force and physical retaliation against american citizens is paramount today. The harsh treatment of minorities is a real reality that must be eliminated immediately. I myself can testify times in my life where i felt racially profiled by police. I can testify of times in my life where i was pulled over for driving while black. I can testify giving my grandson, who is now driving age, the talk of how to properly behave if pulled over by police, because he had the question of a very real fear of the possibility of death at the hands of police. In fact, my very first interaction with police when i was 13 years old resulted in me being roughed up. I could have easily have been george floyd. George floyd could have easily been me, my brothers, my friends, or any number of any other black men in america. However, i do not recommend throwing the baby out with the bathwater by labeling all Police Officers as bad cops simply because of the bad actions of a rogue segment of those whose job is supposed to be to protect and serve american citizens. In fact, in certain innercity communities across america, increased funding for police and increased Police Presence is necessary to enforce the law and guarantee the safety and security of lawabiding members of those communities. As one who was formerly in this street life years ago, i might be a pastor but i didnt come down from heaven. I came up out of hell with the rest of everybody else. I was formerly in that street life and i know much about the criminal element, and i can state definitively that the criminal element in and of society will enjoy Nothing Better than the reduction in Police Presence and police power. It will allow those with criminal intentions and criminal actions to flourish virtually unchallenged in the communities of america. The lawabiding members of society would directly threatened by the absence of police or inability of police to respond to criminal activities, and in many cases, endeavor to take the law into their own hands to ensure their safety and wellbeing as evidence by the response of some who decided to defend themselves and property from vandalism. An absence of Police Presence could give rise to acts of domestic terrorism, mob rule, gang rule, neighborhood intimidation, oppression, and vigilantism. Defunding of Police Apartments have happened in a number of cities and rather than remedying problems, it has made things worse. Cleveland is a prime example. In 2004, the city of people in the city of cleveland laid off 285 officers. The entire Police Budget was slashed by 31 . To cover basic services, the following units were either disbanded or cut forever. The district strikeforce units, the narcotics unit was completely cut, swat was downsized, the fugitive unit was disbanded, the Intelligence Unit was cut to barebones, the mounted unit was cut 85 . The aviation units was down completely for three years and is only utilized during special events. The harbor unit was disabled, boats rotting in a drydock. The Scientific Investigation unit was cut 80 . All the lab techs were let go. All evidence collection is done by priority. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program was cut, Community Policing was cut, 45 . Cleveland went through a decadelong downsizing which saw the 1900 officers down to 1500 officers on average. Zone car coverage, which directly affects citizens, has been cut. Police presence in any given district or shift has been cut in half. One and two men units have been cut in half. Response time is dramatically longer. If the police show up at all. The murder rates have climbed. The property crime is at record levels. Aggravated robbery statistics are higher. Drug use and drug sales and abuse is higher. Cleveland went from a relatively safe city per capita to an unbelievably unsafe city. Calls of service have increased even though the population has dropped significantly over the last 20 years. Once safe areas of the cities are now unsafe. Once nice neighborhoods in the city are now not nice. Homicides are up 55 in cleveland from this time last year, and cleveland now has a higher murder rate per 100,000 residents than chicago does. I believe the Police Departments are only as effective as politicians, and their appointees, allow them to be. Politicians and appointees are responsible for the state of their Police Departments. Lawabiding citizens, and ive spoken to a great deal of them, overwhelmingly think defunding or disbanding Police Departments is a horrible idea. Community policing is a viable option to address the needs of innercity communities. Having police in the communities to get to know the residents is the best way to obtain the results we all want. When i was growing up, the residents and Business Owners knew the Police Officers that were assigned to our neighborhoods, and their presence was a deterrent to criminal activity. In short, defunding of Police Departments in america has already happened, and proven to be an epic fail. We cannot allow their paradigm to continue if we want the neighborhoods of america to safe to live in, the streets of america to be safe for residents to walk on, and communities of america conducive for businesses to thrive in. I recommend and agree with the fact that Police Reform, or better yet, police revisions should be enacted. But it has to be one sensitive to the stress, tension, pressure, and paranoia policing produces. The fact that on any given day, any given call, stop, can result in an officers death and be very challenging mentally. While also being sensitive to the citizens of america who are supposed to be protected by the police and not to be enemies of the police, whether in the suburbs or inner cities, whether we are black, white, red, yellow, or brown. I believe most Police Officers began their careers most bad cops began their careers as good cops, but they allowed the rigors of their job to affect their perspectives and social interaction with those they are supposed to protect and began perceiving those they are supposed to protect as those they themselves need to be protected from. I am in agreement. I endorse Police Reform, but it has to be sensitive to both sides of that issue. Thank you for allowing me. Bless you. Rep. Nadler thank you. Before i call the next witness, i remind witnesses to turn off the mikes when they are not speaking. Turn them on when you are speaking. Our next witness is mr. Paul butler, a professor at Georgetown University law center , where he specializes in criminal law and race relations. The professor is the offer of the book lets get free, a hiphop theory of justice and chokehold, policing black men. Mr. Butler, you may begin. Mr. Butler chairman nadler and Ranking Member jordan, honorable members of the committee, thank you for this opportunity to testify. Mr. Floyd and ms. Underwoodjacobs, i so sorry for am your loss. May the memory of your brothers be a blessing to people all over the country and world who are rising up in what Martin Luther king called the beautiful struggle for equal justice. There is never, for what in American History never, not for one minute in american between been peace blackandwhite people in america. Black people have endured jim crow segregation, being shut out of Social Security and the g. I. Bill, massive resistance to school desegregation, nonstop efforts to prevent us from voting, and poisoned water. But, the rare times black people have set aside traditional civil rights strategies and have risen in the streets, destroyed property, and resisted symbols of the state has been because of something the police have done. 1967, in 1965, newark in miami 1980, l. A. 1992, ferguson 2015. Minneapolis in 2020. All of those cities went up in flames because the Police Killed another black man. Unlawful violence is Never Acceptable either as a misguided approach of a few or as an abuse of power and trust we place in law enforcing officers. The main problem is not bad apple cops. Officers have difficult jobs and many serve with honor and valor. Still, almost every objective investigation of a Police Department find police, as policy, treat africanamericans with contempt. The police kill, wound, pepper spray, beat up, detain, frisk, handcuff, and used dogs against black people in circumstances in which they would not do the same to white people. When armed agents of the state are harming american citizens in our name, we the people must ask why. In the past two weeks, we have seen acts of grace and bravery by Police Officers. In new york, they took a knee. In houston, the chief arranged for an honor guard to accompany mr. Floyds body when he came home. Unfortunately, we have also witnessed these past two weeks, Police Officers committing deplorable acts of violence against the citizens they are sworn to serve and protect. In new york, officers strolled drove two large Police Vehicles into a crowd of protesters. In atlanta, officers broke the window of a car, dragged out two college students, and shot them with a stun gun. In buffalo, a Police Officer knocked a 75yearold man to the ground. What happened next was just as bad. The two officers were disciplined for that criminal conduct. Squader officers quit the in protest. President obamas task force on leasing described the warrior mentality present among too many Police Officers. In buffalo, the nation saw warriors on steroids. Cks are about likes 0 blacks are about 20 of the butlation of minneapolis 60 of the People Police use violence against. The result is that there are more black people in the criminal legal system today than there were slaves in 1850. I told a young man i would mentor to wear a mask but he wanted to me to know as a young black man, he has a greater risk of dying from Police Violence rather than the coronavirus. One in 1000 africanamerican boys will be killed by the police. What africanamericans need to realize, equal justice under the law is for selective enforcement and Police Brutality to end. We need the police to stop killing us, stop beating us up, stop arresting us in situations in which they do those things to would not do those things to white people. The justice in policing act is commonsense reform. Among other things, it requires cops to be trained on understanding racial bias. In minneapolis, there are three officers that crushed the life out of mr. Floyd and another served as a lookout. Someone said to the cops, he is human, bro. Four officers but these four officers did not treat mr. Floyd like a human being. Too often, police enforce the dehumanization of people of color. Understanding racism in the United States will make our men and women in blue more effective officers. In the end, this is about the legitimacy and sustainability of our democracy. No justice, no peace is not a threat. It is a description of how the world works. The multiracial, multigenerational demonstrations that have risen up all over the United States reflect the wonderful diversity of our great nation and the textual of the potential of ordinary citizens to make our country live up to its highest ideals. The justice and policing heralds the urgency of transformation and promise for all americans of equal justice under the law. Rep. Nadler thank you, mr. Butler. Our next witness is benjamin crump. Benjamin crump is the founder and the principal owner of ben crump law. He is representing George Floyds family. Mr. Crump received his jd and ba from Florida State university. You may begin. Mr. Crump thank you, chairman nadler. And distinguished members of the committee. I know all the speakers have five minutes to speak, but i wish it was eight minutes and 46 seconds, not as a symbolic gesture, but as an actual exact time reference of how long george floyd literally begged. He narrated a documentary of his life, saying saying he cant breathe and calling for his mama. The death of george floyd has causedzed the world and americans to push for a more just system of leasing. It has become painfully obvious that what we have right now is two systems of justice, one for white americans and another for black americans. Ofrge is one in a long line black americans unjustly killed by police, in georges case, including police, jean,a taylor, botham Michael Brown, eric garner, mcdonald, laquon just to name a few. The list goes on and on. Rememberortant that we their names. We findy past time that the role of police to become peacekeepers and community partners. Of course, they must be prepared to protect themselves and the public in direct, lifethreatening situations, but these should be the exception and not the rule. What we are witnessing throughout our country is not that. Americans are being tear gassed in the streets, hit with rubber bullets, shoved violently to the ground cracking their skulls against the pavement, beat bloody with batons and for what . For demanding justice for black americans. Our Constitutional Rights are under attack in the broad daylight. Changing the behavior of police and their relationships with people of color starts at the top. We need a National Standard for policing behavior built upon transparency and accountability. The only reason we know what happened to george floyd is because it was captured on video. The advent of Video Evidence is bringing into the light what long was hidden. It is revealing what black americans have known for a long, long time, that it is dangerous for a black person to have an encounter with a Police Officer. Given the incidents that have led to this moment in time, it should be mandatory for Police Officers to wear body cams and should be considered obstruction of justice to turn them off. Like a data recorder in a n airplane, body cams replace competing narratives with a single narrative, the truth of what we see with our own eyes. Second, insist Police Officers only use the level of force needed based on the level of threat actually posed by the circumstances. We have seen way too many black people shot in the back or on or unarmed black people shot and killed, or handcuffed black man face down on the pavement is by a knee on his seconds,8 minutes, 46 though he proposed no threat at all. Neck restraint were used by Minnesota Police more than 200 times resulting in suspects losing consciousness at least 44 times. Restraints like chokeholds and strangleholds should be outlawed. Finally, reform how qualified immunity applies to Police Officers. If officers know they have immunity, they act with impunity. If officers know they can unjustly take the life of a black person with no accountability, they will continue to do so. That is what you saw in the eyes of derek chauvin, with his hand casually tucked into his pocket as he extinguished the life of george floyd. Accountability requires that officers face public consequences for unjustly taking a life or brutalizing a fellow american that they are sworn to protect and serve. Too often many officers are silent in the face of evil because of the blue shield. The brotherhood of Police Officers, which fosters systematic racism and abuse. But there is a higher brotherhood that god calls us to honor. The brotherhood of mankind, black and white. That is what we are witnessing in the diversity of the protesters filling our streets even today. That is the brotherhood our Police Officers must honor above all. The Founding Fathers knew they had not built an infallible system, a faultless union, but they did task us with the perpetual duty to aim for it, a more Perfect Union of justice, liberty, resilience, hope, and compassion. We have to do better and we must strive to live up to those american ideals. We are better than this. Chairman, members of the committee, you have the power to make this moment in history the Tipping Point so many of us have been waiting for, fighting for, and praying for. That americans are marching for. You have the power to make sure George Floyds death is not in vain. I have been asking for us to take a breath. Number one, the breath that george floyd was denied. Second, take a breath to consider how we use police in our society and how we hold them accountable for the tremendous power we place in their hands. Third, take a breath to consider how we create a more Perfect Union that extends equal protection and equal justice to people of color. Finally, take a breath for george floyd because his life mattered, and black lives matter. I thank you, chairman. Rep. Nadler thank you. Ron davis is the legislative the national of organization of black Law Enforcement executives. He directed the offices of Community Oriented policing services at the u. S. Department of justice. In 2014, he was appointed executive director of the president s task force on 21st century policing. Fromavis received his ba Southern Illinois university and completed the Senior Executive state and local Government Program at Harvard School of government. Mr. Davis, you may begin. Mr. Davis thank you, mr. Chairman, and good morning. I come on behalf of noble and on behalf of our didnt, we thank you for letting us testify of our president , we thank you for letting us testify today. Serving as the director for 30 years and a Police Officer of 20 years in oakland and about nine years as a police chief in the city of o alto, i do want to say noble condemns the heinous killing of mr. Floyd and offer our condolences to his family. Want to thank mr. Floyd this morning for his testimony. Yet, mr. Chairman, we know the death of mr. Floyd was just one in a long list of tragedies. We also know that the vast majority of these officers in this country are decent, i thinke men and women too often we talk about bad apples. We need to acknowledge that the problem the continued use of draconian leasing systems. We still suffer from racism and severe inefficiencies. Bad cops and racist cops cannot can operate with impunity. Most of these systems determine why we police, how we police, where we police, and they were actually constructed to enforce jim crow and other discriminatory practices. In other words, this committee should acknowledge in the nation should acknowledge that our policing systems are in fact not broken. They are doing what they were designed to do. To understand this hard truth is to recognize the system cannot be reformed, it must be reconstructed. It also means the demand for policing reform should not require a indictment against all police. In fact, it is our hope our brothers and sisters who wear the badge will not only embrace this moment, but join the movement and become a part of the change. We have seen chiefs and officers walk with crowds and take a knee , that is great. We now need them to take a stand and stand with the community as we reconstruct the unjust system. The first step in reconstructing a new system is accountability and trust with communities. This was the core charge president obama gave the task force on 21st century policing. In 2015, they provided recommendations for Police Agencies and communities to advance this. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration not only tossed this report away, it has actually retreated backwards to the socalled law and order days. Days in which the mass arrest of men of color was this nations crime strategy. We need to abandon that dangerous rhetoric, abandon the idea of law and order, and embrace a peace and justice mantra that enhances Public Safety and assure justice for all. We need to support the federal government to advance the recommendations from president obamas task force and take immediate action. In the interest of time, i will say we support the eight bullets ms. Gupta already given. Already outlined. We need to restore the Consent Decree where appropriate. We should restore programs that allow Police Departments to do voluntary reviews so they can identify deficiencies in operating systems and structural programs. We believe all Police Agencies should obtain some kind of accreditation before receiving federal funds. We also need the federal governments help in supporting local and state efforts. In the absence of this doj the states have stepped up. For example, the state of california and Governor Newsom past Assembly Bill 392, the most comprehensive use of force reform bill in the nation. Last week, Governor Newsom also ordered the state to stop using the carotid chokehold and made clear he would support legislation that prohibits those techniques. In illinois, the former attorney general lisa madigan and the current attorney general raul used the office to negotiate with the city of chicago to adopt the most comprehensive consent agreement in history. In california, the attorney general used his office to conduct a pattern of practice investigation, provide organizational assessments, and use of force reviews. Most recently in minnesota, attorney general Keith Ellison used their office to convene a task force, a working group of diverse people, to address the issue of Police Deadly encounters. Unfortunately, the Group Released the report weeks after george floyd was killed. It was too late to impact that tragedy, but it provides a roadmap for minnesota as it moves forward. These are all activities that nadler thank you, mr. Davis. Mr. Davis these are sorely needed if we address Police Reform. The ones i just mentioned and the ones that you have heard today are all contained in the justice and policing act and we mcbeth,te congresswoman yourself mr. Nadler, and all the cosponsors for working with this body as we move the bill forward. Rep. Nadler thank you, thank you, thank you. [gavel banging] i asked my colleagues to follow. These are the steps we can use to start the reconciliation we have yet to do and start the reimagining policing process. The first step is to publicly acknowledge historical and abuses that occur in impacts on communities of color. The more we do so publicly, the more we start reconciliation. [gavel banging] second, the acceptance of changing the police culture. Three, we give time for Police Officers to reaffirm the constitution and Core Principles of our democracy. Three, its time to i say that bo remind people that the oath is to the constitution and our democracy. Not to each other or the Police Department or the police union. Four, collaborate with communities to redefine policing including the development of reinvestment strategies that relies less on police and more communitybased safety programs. As we debate the power of the departments, i think [gavel banging] we need to invest in social grams that go to the core nadler mr. Davis, your time has expired. Thank you for your testimony. Your time has expired. The next witness is daniel bongino. Daniel has served with the new york Police Department a United States secret service. He is a bestselling author and host of the dan bongino show. He has an mba from penn state and ma and ba from the City University of new york. You may begin. Ranking member, jordan, i appreciate the opportunity to speak on this credible incredible issue critical issue. Mr. Floyd, i deeply sorry for am your loss and i hope you take the justice we praise to come. It was a tough video to watch for all of us. Police officer Dan Osullivan was a friend of mine. We went to the academy together. Sadly, we lost touch when we graduated. We were assigned to separate precincts in different areas of new york. Dan and i were briefly reunited in 1998. It was not a joyous occasion. I was reunited with dan in the hospital in queens where he was hospitalized with devastating injuries after pulling over, offduty, to assist a driver and a critical emergency situation. He was hurt badly. Dan was the very essence of a public servant. He always put himself last while putting his commitment to the safety of the public he pledged to serve first. That was the dan i knew. Through my employment with the nypd and United States secret service i had the honor and privilege of working with agents and Police Officers who commit themselves to a higher cause. Just like dan, i met so many committed Public Servants that i cannot even recall all of their names. These are good men and women. Yes, with any professions there are officers, no question, more not suited for the job. Some will cause trouble and sometimes worse. We have seen that. But in my experience, this is rare and becoming rarer. The special agents i work with remain friends with to the state and the secret service and the nypd and new York City Fire department, on that tragic day of september 11, 2001 they sprinted into those buildings and escorted people out. We all know those buildings collapsed, taking many of those brave nypd souls with them. Those brave souls running into the buildings and everyone else was evacuating. These are the types of people i was honored and privileged to work with. Public safety came first. Everything else can second. Sometimes even their own families. To defund the police would target these heroes. They are the police, these people. Not just some amorphous mass affected. These are real heroes, in real time, right now. Removing these heroes from your communities and my community will do nothing but ensure chaos and destruction. Police officers are the frontlines, putting themselves between the evildoers and honest and hardworking americans. We can and should commit to Police Accountability, but we do not need to shred the wall. There are a few jobs in the country as stressful as policing. I receive any mail or text a few times a year notifying me about the death or injury of a Police Officer i knew, worked with, or had worked with. Think about that for a minute. God forbid you found out a coworker of yours was killed or injured in the line of duty in the course of doing their job. You just get a text. You get this a couple times a year. That is policing. Thats what they do. They risk their own lives for yours. Closing, i spoke at an event for Police Officers years ago and the spouse of one of these heroes said this. She said, the most wonderful sound in the world for the spouse of a Police Officer is the sound of velcro at night. You might be saying, why velcro . That is how a Police Officers body armor their bodies. When it comes off and the sound echoes, the families of these heroes know they are finally home safely. I ask you please, with the greatest of respect and humility, please stop the defund the police abomination before somebody gets hurt. Thank you for your time. Rep. Nadler thank you, mr. Bongino. The next witness is phillip goff. He is the cofounder and president of the center for policing equity. He also serves as the inaugural franklin a thomas professor at John Jay College of criminal justice. His phd and ma from Stanford University and a from harvard university. Dr. Goff, you may begin. Dr. Goff thank you, chairman nadler, Ranking Member jordan, members of the judiciary committee. I say that we mourn with you and to mr. Floyd, i want to ink you especially thank you especially for appearing in front of this body and the rest of the country. I offer my condolences that major presence necessary in your words have moved a nation that was already mourning with you. To everyone gathered, it is my to provide back testimony on policing practices and accountability. My background is in behavioral sciences. I am a professor of policing equity. I was a witness for the president s task force of 21st century policing. A member of the National Academy of sciences that issued a report on policing, one of three that , but likely best known for my work for the center for policing equity. My testimony today is in that capacity. We founded the National Justice database the largest collection , of police behavioral data in the world of work focuses on combining police behavioral data, psychological surveys, and data from the u. S. Census to estimate not only Racial Disparities of police outcomes,ut to stop the use of force and a proportion of those of which Law Enforcement are responsible and could do something about. I have to say that what we have seen on the streets in the United States in the past two weeks nearly defies description. Some have called it massive protests, others have called a riot, others have called a revolution. Im confident that what we have seen has been larger than the incident that sparked collective outrage and is still tearing at the fabric of our democracy. It is even larger than our grief at the brutal extinction of George Floyds life and thousands previously killed by police, he number that has not changed significantly since newspapers began cataloguing them in 2015. What we are seeing on the streets of the United States is a past due notice for the unpaid debt of black people for 400 plus years. The responses to this moment are not proportional to that debt, then i fear we will continue to pay it with interest again and again and again. Turning to the complex issue of Police Reform, i applaud the work of chairman nadler and ath to putman mcb forward new Holding Police accountable. The policing active 2020 would include many Critical Reforms including banning neck restraint and create registry of Police Misconduct. Spend a moment focusing on what science says about bias and policing. I feel this is important to set a baseline especially with the false information circulating in the media, given the vacuum in the ecosystem of this area. First, there is no doubt black, native, and latin people in this country have more contact with Law Enforcement than white people. There is relative agreement that where there are fewer Public Services, fewer drug treatment, Mental Health programs, Law Enforcement has more contact. There is evidence of racial bias in who was contacted by police and who is targeted. However, it is also the case that clearly not all disparities we see are from Police Policy or behavior. It is some, but not all. Given this understanding of bias in policing, what are we to do . We have heard the most recent debate between institutional reform and defunding the police. While there is no Quantitative Research literature on abolishing policing, i have reason to believe many within black communities are not aligned with this vision. Historical and polling shows the black communities support less bias and less deadly Law Enforcement more than eliminating it. With the mood of the nation changing so quickly, so too make y these attitudes. The idea that a path forward allows Police Budgets to invest black communities, the process must be led by evidence. Evidence about what works in programs, in policing and communities and evidence about where cities can receive a higher return on investment in compute community empowerment. Regardless, there is no need to wait for a decision on Police Budgets to invest in our most vulnerable communities. Wherever the country lands on budgets, we can all agree the communities that have the resources to solve their problems and do not need to call the police in the first place are Safer Communities that are better equipped to realize the american dream. There is no reason to avoid this obvious truth and no reason not to act on it. Now. Mentioned, the justice and policing act of 2020 contains the best reform package of the bills i have seen before this congress. Cpe supports its passage. Many of our partners rep. Nadler thank you. Support many provisions especially the neck restraint and implementation of a National Registry of those police who have been fired for misconduct. These are long overdue and they such commonsense reforms should be enacted immediately. Briefly, i want to emphasize the need for a National Registry of Police Officers fired for misconduct and this will increase transparency and the Publics Trust in Law Enforcement agencies. Doctors and lawyers, those tasked with protecting life and liberty, as officers have to do on their jobs every day, those along with many other professions are required to be licensed and Employment Data are shared across state lines by appropriate entities and in appropriate ways. Rep. Nadler thank you, dr. Goff. Youre five minutes have expired. Our next witness is marc morial. He is the president and ceo of the National Urban league. He also served as mayor of new orleans from 1994 until 2002. He received his jd from Georgetown Law School and ba from the university of pennsylvania. You may begin. Mr. Morial thank you. Members of the committee, chairman nadler, representative bass, thank you for your leadership on this issue. First, we at the National Urban league strongly support the passage of the justice and policing act. To mr. Floyd and ms. Underwood jacobs, i join in sharing our thoughts and prayers with you on your loss. Your courage is admirable. Thank you very much. 1968 and 86d year period 4742 people, mostly black, were lynched in the United States. These murders were turned into public spectacles with people being tortured, mutilated, and burnt in front of hundreds of spectators mocking their deaths. In 1922, the United States house of representatives have the courage to pass a bill to make a lynching a federal crime. However, White Supremacists in the United States Senate Filibuster that bill and blocked 200 attempts to pass that bill. A blockage which continues to this day in the United States senate. Imagine if, in 1922, the congress of the United States had demonstrated the courage to make lynching a federal crime . How many of those 4742 people would not have died . Today, we look at most recent history and we see from 1954 to 1965 dozens of Civil Rights Activists were murdered including the four little girls at that Birmingham Church in 1963. But this congress, in 1964 and 1965, this congress, with bipartisan majorities, and the courage of a southern president who had previously supported segregation, demonstrated the courage and conviction to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights act, and the 1968 fair housing act. Since 2013, when Trayvon Martin was killed in florida, 1,291 black people have been shot and killed by the police. Over 100 of them were unarmed. And now, in 2020, as we stand just six years away from the 250th anniversary of this nation , before the eyes of the world, george floyd was lynched on the streets of minneapolis, minnesota. In the world, from hungary to new zealand to australia to paris to london, to big cities, small towns, every village, every hamlet, every neighborhood in this nation has risen up in mainly peaceful protests to simply say enough is enough. Enough is enough, and black lives matter. This justice in policing act represents a bold and clear step forward, but an opportunity. An opportunity at a historic time in American History. As to whether this nations elected representatives will hear the pain, hear the cries, hear the suffering, hear the outrage, and realize this is not the time for a de minimis, back room washington political , compromise. This is a moment for bold and courageous action. The type of action where 20, 40, 60 years hence, history will ask, your children will ask, your grandchildren will ask, where did you stand . Where did you stand . This is a moment not of politics, this is not a moment of black or white. This is a moment of morality. It is a moment of human decency. This act does a number of things. It bans some practices that we all know have to be banned. Chokeholds, no knock warrants, racial profiling. It creates an accountability system that is multi tiered. Some through the system of the courts in both civil and criminal proceedings, and strengthens the hands of the Justice Department so that it can do its job. Banging] rep. Nadler thank you, mr. Mayor, your time thank you let me say , one last thing. I will go back to what i said earlier. I am asking this congress, this body, and the United States senate to recognize the gravity of this moment and the importance of this time, and to stand with the people of this nation to say enough is enough. Black lives matter. Thank you. Watch the entire House Judiciary Committee on Police Reform tonight at 8 00 eastern on cspan. Watch anytime online at cspan. Org or listen on the free cspan radio app. With the federal government at work in acn throughout the country, use the congressional directory for contract Contact Information for members of congress, governors, and federal agencies. Today atr copy online cspan store. Org. With the recent protests unfolding across the country, watch our live, unfiltered coverage of government response with briefings from the white house, congress, governors, and nation,rom across the updating the situation, plus efforts addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and campaign 2020. Join in the conversation every day on our live callin program journal. N if you missed any of our live coverage, watch anytime on demand at cspan. Org or listen on the go with the free cspan radio app. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson fielded questions from members of parliament on the countries coronavirus response, reopening efforts, and racial tensions in the u. K. The Prime Minister mentioned the death of george floyd and told members he supported black lives matter. Heres a look at this weeks question time. I call the Prime Minister to answer the engagement question. Approacheaker, as we th