Dems Lead the Charge on Police Accountability, Achieve Bipartisan Support
Denver, CO – Today, Senate Democrats passed historical police reform legislation in the wake of the gruesome killing of George Floyd at the hands of peace officers. This bill outlines a duty to intervene by other officers when excessive force is being used, removes qualified immunity from shielding bad officers, and outlaws the use of a chokehold.
“George Floyd’s murder may have been the catalyst for this movement, but the truth is, black and brown bodies have been perpetually abused by officers for decades,” said Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora. “Departments have refused to root out the violent corruption insidiously infecting their culture. It is long overdue that lawmakers step in and mandate accountability and transparency. Thanks to the brave commitment of those calling for justice, we’ve been able to bring this legislation across the line. I am honored to have had the opportunity to channel the power of the people and make real change happen.”
“Racist violence by police in America can no longer be swept under the rug. People are tired of watching black and brown communities be terrorized and unjustly painted as dangerous criminals,” said President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo. “It’s unacceptable that some police departments have been a breeding ground for cancerous belief systems and behavior–resulting in countless innocent lives lost. Peace officers are meant to serve the community, keep people safe, and be guardians of justice, but for too long bad actors have abused their power and gotten away with it. We need to do everything in our power to restore the people’s trust in those whose duty is to protect and serve. I am proud that we were able to bring people together on this issue, even those who have been fighting against reform for decades. But this is not the end of our work. We will continue demanding accountability and transparency until community trust is achieved.”
SB20-217 focuses on bringing transparency and accountability to policing by codifying multiple sweeping reform measures, including requiring the use of bodycams, outlawing chokeholds as a method of apprehension, and ensuring that bad officers are terminated and banned from the force permanently.
Another groundbreaking policy provision requires an officer to intervene if another officer is using excessive force. In so many cases of unacceptable police violence, other officers were present and did nothing to halt the incident--supporting a bystander’s culture that allows abuse to continue.
The bill goes on to outline protections for protesters by limiting when and how police can use projectiles and chemical agents against a crowd. It also ends the use of qualified immunity, which has been shielding bad actors from civil responsibility for years. And finally, it requires that data be compiled and publicly reported regarding incidents surrounding use of force, stops and searches of civilians, and forced entries into homes.
In the U.S., African Americans are at least 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. They are also 1.3 times less likely to be armed compared to Caucasians. Even more alarmingly, and despite well-documented cases of the use of excessive force, 99% of killings by police have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime.